Sweet & Spicy
by Lepori
Summary: Renji is having trouble learning how to live in the human world, especially going through high school. But his problems are solved when he meets a girl who can help him fit in. What she wants in return though....is to become a shinigami. RenjixOc
1. Back to School

**Hmm...my first Bleach story...I have a feeling it'll be shorter than other stories I've written...I don't even have much of a plot! Oh well. Hopefully it won't suck _too_ much...**

Back To School

Being a shinigami was a tough job. You had to go through years of training mental-wise and learning kido. Getting into the Gotei 13 was difficult. You had to be really good to get a seat. To become a lieutenant was even harder, and to become a Captain was the most challenging. You also had to fight Hollows, and some were even difficult to defeat. Not to mention those now extinct Bountos and the ruthless Arrancar.

Then there was the zanpaktou issue. You had to first learn how to fight with it. Then you had to learn how to release and control shikai. Finally, the most challenging was bankai, which took years to master.

Yup. Becoming a shinigami was tough.

But not as tough as becoming a normal human. That, is what Abarai Renji had realized the first day he went to high school with Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia.

This is where the story begins.

"Welcome back class," said the teacher. "I hope you all had a fun summer this year. But now you need to get back on track and turn on those brains of yours. I think I'll give you some time to get to know each other, as I see we have new students this year."

It was homeroom. Ichigo had all of his friends in this period.

"Well, it's the second year of school," he said to Rukia. "How do you like being here in the real world?"

"It's a nice change I suppose," she replied. "There are so many things that fascinate me. And your school work is fairly simple."

"Easy for you to say…"

Rukia only smiled at her friend. "How do you like school so far Renji?"

Abarai Renji wasn't exactly your normal high school student. He was the lieutenant of sixth company in the Gotei 13. He didn't look much like a student at first glance, but once in uniform, it's hard to think of him as an adult. Although, his tattoos would state otherwise.

The red head looked at her. "Well, last time I was here, I didn't do much school work. But I guess since now I'm stuck here for Hollow duty, I'm pretty sure my experience will be different. It's strange to not be in my shinigami attire and be in these human clothes…."

"It's called a uniform Renji," Ichigo corrected.

"I know."

"And it's better than those hippie clothes you wore last time."

"Hey, I died in a different time period than the twenty first century. How was I supposed to know what you people wear today?!"

"I like what you humans wear!" said Matsumoto. She was also on Hollow duty as well, along with three other comrades.

Matsumoto Rangiku was the only woman who came with the five shinigami to the real world for Hollow duty. She's the lieutenant of tenth company. Matsumoto had never been to the real world, and loved it so far, especially the clothes. She could go shopping all day, especially since she brought her salary along. Even though she was posing as a high school student, she would look like an adult to a human, especially since her bosom attracted a lot of attention.

"Yes, some clothes are fashionable," replied Yumichika. "But not everybody looks good in them…" Ayasegawa Yumichika was another who was assigned to the real world. He's the fifth seat in eleventh company and tends to be a narcissist, which leads many to believe he is a snob.

"I don't care much for fashion," said Ikaku. "But I do like the fact that this town cares for martial arts and has classes for it." Madarame Ikaku is the third seat of eleventh company, and isn't afraid of anything, not even dying. He's a hothead and he's bald, but nobody ever dares tells him so. He was assigned Hollow duty in the real world and like Yumichika and Matsumoto, he had to pose as a high school student.

"They have that too in America," Ichigo said. "God…you guys need to be informed on the world of today."

"You should do that Kurosaki, and soon," replied Toushirou. "These three don't seem to understand the human world much." Hitsugaya Toushirou was the Captain of tenth company. He's the youngest of the Captains and is often mistaken as a middle school student to many humans. He actually took the time to study the world of humans so he doesn't embarrass himself if he is asked a question of today in school. Toushirou was assigned Hollow duty. It was strange that a Captain would be needed for this, but he had to look after Matsumoto, Ikaku, and Yumichika, since he's worked with them before.

So, all five shinigami had to get used to being human and having their powers limited. They were starting to adapt with their gigai, which made things a little easier. Technology and new food however, still perplexed them. But of course it would. After all, Soul Society was based on Feudal Japan, and they didn't have the things of today back then.

"Yeah…" Ichigo said. "Anyway, this is our homeroom. And I'm surprised I got you all for this class."

"What's homeroom?" asked Renji.

"It's the only class where you don't do any work. Well, sometimes, but not always. Also, announcements are made and my teacher usually gives out grades when the report cards are due…"

"Luckily I always get good grades!" Rukia stated. "This homework we get is so simple. I don't know why you have trouble with it Ichigo."

"Don't even start Rukia."

"Hey, where's Orihime?" asked Matsumoto.

"Oh she wanted to check her classes for this year, so she left to the office."

"What about everybody else, like Ishida and Chad?" Renji asked.

"Chad went to go help my other teacher move some stuff and Ishida is busy making sure he's taking all the right classes to get into a good college. We should see all three later on today."

"This school thing," Toushirou said. "How do we know where to go?"

"Well, you get a paper that tells you where to go. Then you find your class. You guys do remember all the buildings when I gave you the tour right?"

"Yup!" said Matsumoto. "And I actually remembered!"

"Ichigooooooooo!!"

The orange haired teen turned around to find his best friend, Asano Keigo, charge towards him. The latter was kicked in the face.

"Ow!" he said. "Why are you mean today Ichigo?! I haven't seen you all summer and you kick me in the face?"

"I was busy this whole summer. So I couldn't come and visit."

"Oh. Well, where's Orihime-chan?"

"She's at the office checking her classes."

"That girl was always a good student," said Tatsuki.

"Hey Tatsuki."

"Hey Ichigo."

"You remember Rukia right?"

"Of course. I never saw you without her. How could I forget?" She turned to the others. "But I've never seen them before."

"Oh, these are the new students. This is Abarai Renji, Matsumoto Rangiku, Ayasegawa Yumichika, Madarame Ikaku, and Hitsugaya Toushirou."

"It's nice to meet you all."

The others nodded.

"Well, I hope this school year goes by faster than last year."

"Why is that?" asked Rukia.

"I guess it's because I'm eager to face the world of an adult."

"Oh. So what kind of job do you want?"

"A professional wrestler!"

"Really?" asked Renji. "I thought you'd want to have a more…girly job."

"No. I can be anything I want. It doesn't matter if I'm a girl."

Orihime walked in, along with Ishida.

Tatsuki looked overjoyed.

"Orihime!"

"Tatsuki-chan!"

Then embraced each other.

"Those two are really good friends aren't they?" Rukia asked Ichigo.

"Yeah. They're like sisters to each other."

"Who's your best friend Ichigo?"

"I'm not sure. I guess it would be you since I spend a lot of time with you now."

Rukia blushed, but smiled.

"What about me?!" cried Keigo. "I've known you longer than Kuchiki-san!"

"Yeah, but you can get out of hand sometimes. And I also don't talk deeply about stuff to you."

"I thought only women do that," replied Ishida.

"And I thought only women like sewing."

"Shut up."

Tatsuki and Orihime walked towards their friends.

"It's so nice to have you all here!" Orihime said. "I can't wait to start school with you guys around!"

"Oh thank you Orihime!" Matsumoto said. "By the way, I'm still invited to stay right?"

"Of course! You and Hitsugaya are always welcomed at my home!"

"Yay!"

"And _we're_ still allowed in your home, right Keigo?" Ikaku said somewhat angrily. Yumichika looked at the boy.

"Of c-course you are," said the boy nervously. "My sister loves to have you and Yumichika around."

"So…" said Tatsuki. "You guys live with them?" She was surprised and a little curious.

"We had a bit of a problem finding a place to live," Toushirou said. "Our parents aren't much of parents, so we basically had to live on our own. We've all been friends for a long time. Luckily, Ichigo and the others have been kind and generous enough to have us in their homes." He obviously made a fake story, but Tatsuki didn't notice.

"Who do you house, since the others live with Orihime and Keigo?" Tatsuki asked Ichigo.

"I live at his house," replied Rukia.

"Why do _you_ only live in his house?"

"Tatsuki…" Ichigo said. "Don't start…"

"What does your father say about this Ichigo?"

"At first he was being stupid, as always. He kept saying things like 'I'm gonna get grandchildren!' and then he goes and worships my mom's poster…But then he calmed down a little and treats Rukia like family."

"What about you Renji?"

"Hmm? Oh…I uh…live with my…uncle...in a shop. Yeah, he runs this shop not too far from here."

"I see."

Tatsuki looked around. Everybody was talking in a group to each other. Some kids were chatting about their vacations, while some talked about the new school year. There were even a few who talked to the teacher.

"Everybody seems to be in deep conversation. Huh?"

She looked over at a girl sitting at her desk. She was reading a book on wildlife.

"Hey, did we have her in our class before?" asked Ichigo.

"I don't think so," Ishida said. "I don't remember seeing her around. And I'm surprised you noticed her, seeing as how you only know half the class Kurosaki."

"I know her," Tatsuki said. "She's in my karate class after school. I knew she came to Karakura High, but I've only seen her a few times in the hallway. I only talk to her when we're practicing our karate."

"Is she nice?"

"Yeah, once you get to know her. She's not very social, but she knows how to defend herself. You could say she's somewhat like me...well, strength wise. She helped us win our championship. She's sort of like my equal when it comes to martial arts."

Tatsuki smiled.

"I think it would be a great idea to meet her!" Orihime said.

"I wish it were that easy…"

"What do you mean?"

"She's not…well…she doesn't like to get close to people."

"But aren't you close to her Tatsuki-chan?"

"A little. Not really."

"Can we at least know her name?"

"It's Kawasaki Kimiko. She's our age and a good student. Gets strait A's on every report card…but…she tends to end up in detention a lot."

"Why?" asked Renji.

"When she gets angry, she's like a bull. Don't ever get on her bad side. Ask any of the people who tried to pick on her."

"Is it even possible to get good grades yet get in trouble all the time?"

"Kimiko made it possible..."

"I'm guessing she's not the popular type?" Matsumoto said.

"She's not. So…she doesn't have friends…I hate to say it…but I'm probably the only person who would be considered a friend."

"Well," said Ichigo. "I guess we should make friends with her."

"You guys can try, but I don't think it'll work."

Rukia was the first to go up and talk to her.

"Hello," she said sweetly.

Kimiko looked up from her book. Rukia noticed that up close, this girl was very pretty. She had amber eyes and her hair was black, in a ponytail that resembled Renji's except it was bigger and was in a terra twist style.

"Hey," she replied.

"I'm Kuchiki Rukia. And you are?"

"Kawasaki Kimiko."

"It's nice to meet you."

The girl smiled. But then she looked at her desk.

"Look…I know you're trying to be friendly Rukia…but…I don't think I want to talk at the moment."

"Oh...Ok. Well, see you around."

"Alright."

Rukia walked back to her friends.

"How was it?" Renji asked.

"Tatsuki was right. She's not very social. Why is that?"

"The people who have talked to her ended up back stabbing her. The people she thought were her friends betrayed her. I guess that's why she doesn't want friends anymore. Other than that, I don't know much about her."

"Alright," said the teacher. "Time for roll call so sit at your desks while I call out your names."

All the students sat down. The teacher began to call out everyone's name in order.

"Asano Keigo."

"Here."

"Arisawa Tatsuki."

"Here."

More names.

"Inoue Orihime."

"Present!"

"Ishida Uryu."

"Present."

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

"I'm here."

"Kuchiki Rukia."

"Present."

More names.

"And I think that's it for the regular students. Now, how about the new comers introduce themselves? Please, would you stand up and come to the front of the class?"

The shinigami rose and walked towards the board.

"Now," said the teacher. "Please tell us your names."

"I'm Abarai Renji."

"Matsumoto Rangiku!"

"Madarame Ikaku."

"Ayasegawa Yumichika."

"Hitsugaya Toushirou."

Kimiko looked at them all. She was a new student in this homeroom, but she didn't go up.

There was commotion among the students.

"That guy has a wooden sword on his belt…"

"Dude, that chick has huge boobs..."

"Seems like we have a pretty boy in the class…Gee...isn't that nice..."

"Why does that kid have white hair? Did he bleach it? And shouldn't he be in middle school?"

Toushirou looked irritated.

"And carrot top over there…wow, he has tattoos. And muscles!"

"Is he a high school student?"

You could see a vein on Ikaku's head. Renji's too. They were obviously annoyed.

"Calm down you two," Toushirou said. But he was trying to keep his own annoyance under control.

"Well," said the teacher as the shinigami sat back down. "Now that all introductions have been made--" She noticed one student who hadn't stood up. She looked over at Kimiko.

"Would you mind coming up here please?"

The girl hesitated, but eventually got up and stood in front of the class.

"I'm…Kawasaki Kimiko..."

The class made another commotion.

"Isn't she the one who likes picking fights?"

"I heard she took on a whole gang of soccer players before."

"Wow..._soccer_ players..."

"Hey, they're pretty tough!"

"You're just saying that just because you're one..."

"She's the one who gets detention a lot huh?"

One of the girls giggled. "Looks like a girl but fights like a man. What a freak."

Kimiko didn't look happy.

"May I sit down now sensei?"

"Yes."

Kimiko went back to her seat and sat down. She continued to read her book.

"Ok," said the teacher. She began writing on the board. "These are the upcoming events this year."

Ichigo and the others looked at Kimiko. She was by herself again, but she looked even more irritated than before.

"I see what you mean when you said she wasn't the social type," Matsumoto said.

"Yeah," Tatsuki replied. "She's not a person who will warm up to somebody quickly. And you can see why after she stood up in class. Her reputation is better known for her faults than for her grades…"

Renji looked at the lonely girl.

_She has strong spiritual pressure_, he thought. _Just like Ichigo…_

"Ok class," the teacher said. "Here is your schedule for the year." She walked around and handed everyone their programs.

"I have…" said Renji. "Language Arts for first period. Huh? What's that?"

Matsumoto sighed. "I got math…"

"So did I," Toushirou said. "What a coincidence…"

"Yay!" cried Matsumoto happily. "You can help me with my work taichou!"

"I think the only periods in which we have all of us together is gym and biology," Ichigo said.

"I have you for all my classes," Rukia told him.

"Again?"

"Yes."

"So what is this gym class?" asked Ikaku.

"It's physical education," replied Ichigo. "We're gonna have it for the second to last period of the day. It's the exercising period."

Ikaku smiled. "Gym is now my favorite period."

"Not when it's hot outside," Yumichika whined.

"I don't care if it's hot. It's a test of endurance!"

"Geez…it's not like were gonna go extreme sports or practice using katanas..." Ichigo said. "We mostly run laps as warm ups and then our gym teacher decides from there. I guess I'm gonna have to explain to you guys how to play the different sports. Although…" He looked at Toushirou. "I don't need to explain to you about soccer Toushirou. My little sister Karin told me all about you that day you helped her and her friends beat those bigger kids."

"It's Hitsugaya-taichou. And I only did that because I saw she was struggling."

"I think taichou has a crush on your sister Ichigo," Matsumoto said.

"No I don't."

The bell rang.

"Alright class. Time to go to your first period. Good luck!"

--

The shinigami got to their classes safely, surprisingly, and with little trouble. Renji felt a little uncomfortable since a few girls kept looking at him weird. Not in a bad way, but he still didn't like it.

He also noticed that he had that girl Kimiko for all his classes. But, like in homeroom, she was still all by herself and didn't talk. He took notice of that too.

Now, he was never by himself, because he had one or two of his friends in his class.

He was glad when the day finally ended.

"Well," Ichigo asked everyone. "How does it feel to be a high school student?"

"It's actually quite fun!" Matsumoto said. "I absolutely adore this uniform and I like the classes. They're certainly more interesting than the ones back home."

Tatsuki and Orihime walked up to them.

"It's been a good day so far," Tatsuki said.

Orihime replied to her comment. "Yes, it has!"

"Where do you think you're going Kawasaki?"

Everyone turned around.

Kimiko was face to face with three guys, who were obviously bigger than her.

"Move it," she said.

"Not until you tell me why you rejected me," said one of the guys.

"I thought I told you that I'm not interested in a relationship right now. I don't like your personality anyway. And why would you even want _me_ to be your girlfriend?"

"All the pretty girls are taken. So, I decided to just ask a mediocre looking chick, like you. What do you say?"

"Move it."

"Ami was right," he said. "You really are a loser."

Kimiko clenched her fists.

"You actually listen to that bitch?"

"Of course. She was my ex-girlfriend. But I'm thinking about getting back with her..." He looked pensive.

"Look, I don't give a damn about what she says about me. Just get out of my way so I can go home."

"I don't think so. Not until you apologize."

"For what?"

"For not accepting to be with me. You'd have to be a total moron to not want to be my girlfriend."

Kimiko kicked him in the shin. He fell down on his knees.

"You bitch…that hurt!"

"Good. Next time it won't be on your shin. It'll be somewhere else and that'll hurt a lot."

The other two boys ganged up on her.

Ichigo and the others watched.

"Shouldn't we do something?" asked Renji.

"No," Tatsuki said. "Kim's a big girl now. She can fight for herself. Watch."

"You won't get away with this Kawasaki." He smiled. "You may be a girl, but you're still able to defend yourself. Get her boys."

The two charged at her. Kimiko dropped her book bag and dodged them. When they tried to punch her, she stopped both of their punches with one hand. It was amazing how strong she was. They both decided to punch her with their other arm, but she ducked and pulled them both down. They ended up banging their heads against each other's. She then kicked them both in the stomach and elbowed one in the ribs when he tried to grab her. She picked him up (not really high because nobody's _that_ strong) and threw him at the other one. They crashed on the floor.

"Do you want a piece of me too?" she asked the first guy.

"You're strong for a girl." He stood up. "But not strong enough like a guy."

He was about to punch her himself, but she kicked him in the stomach with her knee and punched him upwards in the chin. Then she took a good swing and gave him a black eye, as well as a bloody nose.

She shook her head and picked up her book bag. "Bastards."

Tatsuki smiled, especially when she saw the looks on everyone else's faces.

"She _is_ just like you," Ishida said. He pushed his glasses up.

"Yeah. Kim's not one to mess around with. She's bullied because she has no friends and nobody to defend her. But those who are smart know better. She can take on multiple people at the same time, just like me."

They watched her walk away from the schoolyard.

"But…" began Tatsuki. "Even though she's tough on the outside…"

Kimiko saw a bird whose wing was tangled in some wire. She bent down and took the creature. She untangled it's wing, making sure not to hurt it. She held the bird in her palms, and let it fly away from her hand. She watched it soar into the beautiful sky, joining its friends.

"She's really sweet on the inside."

"Hard to believe somebody like that has a soft side," Renji said.

"It's true. You just need to get to know her more."

The red head watched the girl walk away from the school, and into the city.

**I already have two more chapters written out. But I wanna see if I get good reviews first. And I used these five shinigami (Renji, Matsumoto, Toushirou, Ikaku, and Yumichika) because they appeared as highschool students in the actual anime/manga. So yeah.**


	2. Hollow, Nice to Meet You

Hollow, Nice to Meet You

Kimiko walked through the streets of Karakura. She was headed towards the middle school, where her brothers attended.

They were waiting outside with their teacher.

"Hello Kimiko," said the teacher warmly.

The girl bowed. "Hello Tsunamoto-sensei. Have my brothers been good today?"

"Yes. Keitaro and Hiroshi are a pleasure to have."

The boys were about eleven years old and they were twins. They had mahogany chin length hair and green eyes.

"That's good." She turned to her brothers. "Well, are you ready to go home?"

"Yes nee-chan!" they both said.

"Ok."

"Be safe on your way home," said Tsunamoto.

"By sensei!" the boys said.

--

Kimiko took out the apartment key from her book bag. She opened the door. Her little brothers walked inside and took off their shoes, as did their sister.

"Ok," she told them. "Keitaro, Hiroshi, do your homework while I make dinner. Ok?"

"What are you making nee-chan?" asked Keitaro.

"Well…I didn't get a chance to go to the store…so it'll have to be ramen I guess."

"You _are_ going to make it right?" Hiroshi asked. "I don't want it from a cup."

"Me either."

"Of course I'll make it! As long as you both do your homework. But if I don't have the ingrediants, it'll have to be from a cup."

"Ok."

The twins walked to the table and began doing their homework while Kimiko made dinner.

She always finishes her homework at lunch.

--

Renji walked into Urahara's shop. He took of his shoes and threw his book bag on the floor.

"Ah," said Kisuke. "You're home Abarai-san! How was your day at school?"

"I got homework already…"

"Then I suggest you do it right away," Yoruichi said.

"Can I at least have something to eat first?"

"Not unless you do chores!" Jinta stated.

"I think we should give Abarai-kun a break," Cloud said. He was in his plushie form.

"Yeah. He has to go to school _and_ work here. Not to mention be a shinigami," Ririn added. She was also in her plushie form.

"I agree," Nova said. He, like Cloud and Ririn, was also in his plushie form.

"Well…" said Kisuke. He looked thoughtful. "I guess Abarai-san can get off doing chores."

Renji smiled.

"But only if he does his homework every day and does extra chores on the weekends. And when he has time on the weekdays, he should do little chores here and there."

Renji groaned. "How is that any different than before?"

"You don't have to do as many chores on the weekdays," Yoruichi said. "The chores you get Monday through Friday will be simple."

"So get started on your homework now!" said Jinta.

"Hey, don't tell me what to do. You're the one who should be going to school you little punk…"

Renji picked up his bag and walked towards the table. "Let's see…I need to write a biography about myself for Language Arts…and I need to do this sheet of math…Well, at least it's not a lot today…"

Kisuke sat down across from him. "So tell me about your day Abarai-san!"

"You want me to do my homework, yet you're distracting me…"

"Well, I want to know what it's like to go to a high school. Kuchiki-san never tells me, so since you live here, I would like you to tell me." He smiled.

The red head sighed. "Well…we have to stay in this uniform all day. And then we get a different uniform for physical education. The food they give out at lunch is…well not that good. But Ichigo says it's because it's a public school and not a private school. Anyway, the classes are alright I guess…And there's pretty much nothing else to talk about."

Yoruichi joined them. Renji looked displeased. He knew that they were sidetracking him on purpose…

"So," said the woman. "Have you met any girls?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, in high school there tends to be a lot of romance between the students. Oh, and drama."

"No Yoruichi-san…I haven't met anybody….the only girl I talked to today other than the ones I know, was Orihime's friend Tatsuki. But I'm not interested right now in any body."

"Not even Rukia?"

"No…and besides, it's obvious she likes Ichigo. She can't hide that from me. I can tell."

Kisuke smiled. "Well, you're bound to find somebody Abarai-san."

"Urahara-san," asked Renji. "Is it possible for humans to have strong spiritual pressure without even knowing?"

The man looked at him. "I suppose. Kurosaki-san was like that. Why do you ask?"

"There's this girl at the school who has strong spiritual pressure, just like Ichigo. But…I know she's not a shinigami or a vizard. I just felt it whenever she would be near."

"It's possible." Kisuke's expression changed. "But if that girl has strong spiritual pressure, that would mean Hollows would be after her."

Renji looked shocked. "They would?"

"That's how Kuchiki-san got involved with Kurosaki-san in the first place. He had strong spiritual pressure without even knowing it, so his family was attacked. Poor thing. He had no idea what was going on at the time."

"So are you saying that this girl…might also be attacked?"

"Yes. You seemed concerned Renji-san."

"I'm not. It's just that it's weird how a lot of people in this town have spiritual pressures."

Kisuke shrugged. "Well, you better start doing your homework, because you have a chore to do after."

Renji groaned again.

"I never get cut any slack…"

--

Kimiko had finished washing dishes and began to put them away. Her brothers helped because she needed to shower since she hadn't done so already.

It was seven in the evening now. At this time, the three siblings usually talked about each other's day in the small living room.

"So," began Kimiko as she dried her hair. She was wearing her pajamas, which were shorts with a tank top. "How was your day?"

"Well," Hiroshi said. "It was good I guess. But that Kurosaki is so scary…"

"Yeah," added Keitaro. "She's like a boy…Not that we're intimidated or anything. We were playing soccer today at recess and she's ruthless out there…"

"She bosses around her friends and they obey like dogs…And they're all boys!"

Kimiko laughed. "Well, that's how women should be. They shouldn't let a man push them around."

"You're a real feminist aren't you nee-chan?" asked Keitaro.

"Yeah. But there's nothing wrong with that. And her name is Kurosaki Karin right?"

"Yes."

"Her brother goes to my school. His name is Ichigo."

"Oh yeah. She's told us about him. Is it true that his girlfriend lives with him?"

"What?"

"Karin said that there's this girl who lives with them. Apparently she's his friend."

"Oh, you mean Rukia?"

"Yeah, her."

"Well, I've seen them together a lot, but I don't know if they're in a relationship other than friends. I don't really talk to them."

"Why not nee-chan?"

"I don't know…"

"It's ok," Hiroshi said. "We know why you don't talk to people."

"Well I'm glad you understand. And I'm happy that _you_ have friends."

"Yeah." The twins smiled and their sister smiled back.

"Nee-chan?"

"Yes Keitaro?"

"There's a field trip coming up soon. And we wanted to know if we could go."

"Really? Where are you going?"

"To the zoo! But it's towards the end of the school year which sucks…"

"Well, you boys can go as long as I see good grades on your report card. Understand?"

Both boys nodded. "Arigatou nee-chan!"

"Now then, you boys can play video games for an hour only. After that, brush your teeth and get ready for bed."

"Ok."

"Oh and don't forget that tomorrow I need to go to karate practice, so I'll pick you guys up from school and you'll have to come with me."

"Why can't you just let us stay home by ourselves?" asked Keitaro.

"Because I don't trust that you'll come directly home."

"Yes we will!" argued Hiroshi. "We came home the last time you couldn't pick us up!"

"Yeah at eight in the night."

"At least we were at a friends house nee-chan."

"Still. I don't like you two going off by yourselves."

"You act a lot like a mom," Hiroshi said.

"Somebody has to…"

It was quiet. None of them said anything. Hiroshi and Keitaro knew that their sister had a point.

After all, they didn't have parents.

--

It was nine. Toushirou was still up with Matsumoto, since she was struggling with math.

"But why do you need to square it?" she asked. "And why is there an 'a' in the problem?"

Toushirou grew a small vein on his head. "Matsumoto…it's called Algebra…it involves letters called variables...and they have it there because it's supposed to be there!"

"But what is the square for?"

"That's what they're asking you to do in the problem!"

"And why are there letters in math?"

"They're supposed to be there!!"

Matsumoto crossed her arms. "I don't like this Algebra. How in the world did you finish your homework so easily taichou?"

"Because I pay attention in class unlike you."

"I have an idea! Why don't you do my homework for me?"

"No. You need to do it by yourself."

"Fine."

"Matsumoto."

"Yes taichou?"

"Did you notice the strong spiritual pressure in homeroom today?"

"Yes, I did. I talked with Ikaku and Yumichika. They noticed it too. It was coming from that girl, right?"

"Yes. Kawasaki I think."

"What do you make of it taichou?"

"She'll most likely be targeted by Hollows."

"So what do we do?"

"If we get an order from Soul Society, then we'll see what we can do."

"Oh."

Toushirou stood quiet for a moment and then said "I've never felt this spiritual pressure before. It's kinda like Kurosaki's."

"Yeah."

--

It was midnight. The town was asleep. Well, except for those who had the night shifts.

Hiroshi and Keitaro were snoozing in their beds. They each had their own bed, but had to share a room. They only slept in the same bed when they didn't feel safe.

Kimiko was sleeping in her room. It was slightly bigger, but not by much. She had to decorate it herself. There were a few animal plushies here and there; the most noticeable was a giant panda in the corner of her room. She also kept her pet rabbit, Usagi-chan, on her own table. Where she lived, she wasn't allowed to keep dogs or cats, since it was an apartment. But she was allowed to have smaller animals like birds, reptiles, and rodents.

The girl was in a slumber in her room, when she heard screams. She instantly woke up and ran out of the room, to her brother's. They were petrified and were looking at something out their window.

"Hiroshi! Keitaro! What's wrong?!"

"Nee-chan," said Keitaro with a shaky voice. "Th-there was something there!"

"It…it was huge!" cried Hiroshi.

Kimiko walked over to them. "If it makes you feel any better, you can sleep in my room."

"Ok."

She took both of her brothers by the hand and they went to their sister's room. Keitaro took out Usagi-chan since the poor little creature looked scared. He held her in his arms and stroked her furry back.

"Well, hopefully you guys will feel safer here."

Hiroshi didn't respond. He looked horrified again.

"N…n…nee…chan…"

"What?"

Keitaro held Usagi-chan closer. He was terrified too. "B…behind…y-you…"

Kimiko turned around, and her eyes widened. In front of her, at the window, was a giant monster with a white face. It roared and the twins screamed. The monster broke through the window, and destroyed the whole wall in doing so.

It was a Hollow. But of course, they didn't know this.

"What is that?!" Kimiko said.

Her brothers were crying and holding the rabbit tightly.

"We need to get out of here!"

She picked up the twins and ran out the door.

--

It was hard to run from a monster and carry two young boys at the same time. The creature was right behind them, and gaining on them fast.

"Nee-chan! It's getting closer!"

"I know!"

She saw a pipe on the ground that was cut off at the end, making a slanted sharp point. She put down her brothers and picked it up.

"Nee-chan!" yelled Hiroshi. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm gonna stop that thing! Run away as fast as you can! Take Keitaro and Usagi-chan with you!"

"But nee-chan!" cried Keitaro.

"Go! It's coming!"

The twins ran away with the rabbit in their arms. They were trying to be brave, but tears kept flowing down their faces. They were scared, and were also scared for their sister.

Kimiko watched her two brothers run off, and then faced the monster.

"If you want my brothers, you're gonna have to get through me first!"

She ran towards the Hollow and whacked it on it's arm. It didn't do much, so she stabbed it with the sharp point of the pipe. It roared in pain.

"Take this!" She threw the pipe directly at it's face, like a spear. It got caught right in the forehead. It roared again.

The Hollow grabbed Kimiko by the leg and threw her against a wooden fence. Her leg hurt, and it was bruised and bleeding slightly.

Then the creature went in the direction of the brothers.

"No…I won't let you hurt them!"

--

Hiroshi and Keitaro were running as fast as they could. But Hiroshi tripped, causing his brother to fall too.

They got up, and saw a shadow rise. They turned around, and saw the Hollow. It was drooling and it roared.

"Ahhhh!" they screamed. The monster swung it's hand at the boys, but something intersected and pushed them out of the way.

"Nee-chan!" cried Hiroshi.

Kimiko had caught up with the monster and blocked it from hurting her brothers. She had grabbed them to shield them and rolled to the side, but she got hurt in the process. Her side was bleeding.

"Nee-chan!" cried Keitaro. "You're bleeding!"

Kimiko clutched her side. "It's…it's ok. I'm alright."

"No you're not!" Tears were in his eyes.

"And you're leg is hurt!" added Hiroshi. He was starting to cry. "How can you say you're not hurt when you're bleeding so much?!"

They let their sister rest against a wooden fence.

"No…I'm fine…really…"

"No you're not!"

They both clung to their sister and cried.

"Don't defend us nee-chan!"

"Run away nee-chan!"

"We don't want you to die!" they both cried.

They didn't care if they were getting full of blood. But they made sure to keep Usagi-chan away from the stuff. After all, her coat was white.

"Hiroshi…Keitaro…"

The Hollow roared, and dived it's head to eat all three. The twins screamed and cried, while Kimiko held them close to her body. She closed her eyes, waiting for impact.

But nothing happened.

She opened her eyes slowly, as did her brothers. In front of them was a person, in a black kimono & hakama with an obi around his waist. He had a katana in his hand. It was blocking the monster's teeth from chowing down.

She noticed the red hair.

"You're…" she began in surprise.

He turned his head to look at her.

"Abarai Renji, at your service."

**For those of you who don't know, the kimono part of a shinigami's attire is the top, while the hakama is the bottom part: the pants. And the obi is the white sash they wear around their waist.**


	3. Introductions

**Yay! Somebody reviewed for this story! :D Thank you saya fujimiya for being the first reviewer and for favoring this story! Oh and adding it to your Story Alert. And also, thank you Elphaba85 and dreamingloser for putting this story on alert. I appreciate it very much. :3**

Introductions

Kimiko looked at him, still surprised by the whole thing. Her brothers looked the same.

"You're pretty beat up," said Renji.

The girl said nothing. Renji noticed the two little boys. They still had tears in their eyes.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll take care of this." He turned back to the monster.

"Howl Zabimaru!"

The katana took a different shape than before. It became thicker and had sharp ends at the bottom.

Renji swung the sword at the monster, cutting it's side. The Hollow roared in pain as it fell back.

Kimiko heard footsteps coming. She looked to her left and saw a few more people in the same outfit, running towards the monster.

She noticed that all of them went to her school.

"What…what is going on?!"

"Renji!" said Ichigo.

"I got this one. Don't worry." His sword extended again and cut the Hollow across the face. Then it extended once more and went through it's chest. The monster roared and disappeared.

Kimiko still couldn't believe her eyes.

"That was a big one," Matsumoto said. "At least it was simple to defeat."

"Good thing we got the message from Soul Society just in time," said Toushirou. He was in his Captain's uniform.

"What do you mean?"

He pointed towards Kimiko and her brothers.

"Oh my…"

"Nee-chan…" said Keitaro. "You're alive…"

"We thought that you would…" began Hiroshi. But he began sobbing, and his brother followed suit.

"It's ok," she said. "I won't leave you guys…" She held them close, and they clung to her shirt.

Orihime, Ishida, and Chad caught up with Ichigo and the others.

"Kurosaki-kun!" she said.

"Hey Inoue."

"We heard from Orihime that there was a Hollow attack," said Ishida. "Sorry we came too late."

"It's alright. Renji took care of it."

Orihime looked at Kimiko. "Oh! It's her, Kawasaki Kimiko!" She saw the girl's wounds. "Oh my! I need to go and help!"

Kimiko was starting to feel faint. _I've lost a lot of blood…_

Renji walked up to her.

"You're…you're that guy from class…one of the new kids…"

"Yeah. My name is Renji. You're…Kim right?"

"Kimiko."

Orihime ran up to her. "Are you ok?!"

The girl raised an eyebrow. "I don't know. I'll check." She was being sarcastic.

"Please Kawasaki-san," said Orihime. "This isn't a time to be funny. Let me heal your wounds."

"But I can go to a hospital."

"You've lost too much blood! Please, let me help you." Orihime placed her hands on the clips that were on her hair. Two little orbs of light surrounded the siblings, which then turned into two fairy-like creatures. A warm energy enclosed Kimiko and her brothers. Her wounds were healing, and her brothers looked amazed.

After about two minutes, Orihime released the command, and the two little fairies returned to her.

"How…how did you do that?" asked Kimiko.

"It's hard to explain."

Everybody else walked up to her.

"You can see us, can't you?" asked Toushirou.

"Yes, I can. Why?"

"You're not supposed to be able to see us," replied Rukia. "Only Inoue, Ishida, and Chad should be visible. The rest of us should be invisible."

"You all go to my school…" began Kimiko. She looked down at the ground for a moment, and then back at them.

"What is going on here? What was that creature that was attacking my brothers and I? And what are you people?"

"Should we erase her memory?" asked Ikaku to Toushirou.

The young captain looked deep in thought.

"Erase my memory?!" said Kimiko. "Please, don't do it! Tell me what's going on! I want to know! I _need_ to know!"

Toushirou spoke. "Her spiritual pressure is strong. It's not like she won't be targeted by Hollows again."

"Hollows?"

"So then what do you suggest we do, Hitsugaya-taichou?" Rukia asked.

"We're just gonna have to tell her the truth."

"Why?" asked Yumichika. "She's just a human. It's not like she's in Ichigo's situation where she has to know because she got shinigami powers."

"Shinigami?"

"True," Toushirou said. "But she's going to be constantly attacked by Hollows. She and her brothers can see us, and that proves that they have strong spiritual abilities. I don't think they'd like it if every time they were attacked and saved, we had to erase their memory."

"Then what do we do?" Matsumoto asked.

"We're gonna have to take her to Urahara's shop and explain."

Kimiko was very confused.

"Don't worry," said Ichigo. "We're not gonna hurt you." He smiled. "But we would like it if you came with us so we can explain."

"Al...alright."

Kimiko got up, but struggled a little because of her weak leg.

"We'll carry your brothers," said Ichigo. "Right Ishida?"

"Why do you make me do things without consulting me first?"

"Just do it."

Ichigo picked up Keitaro, and Ishida carried Hiroshi.

"Wow," said Ichigo. "You're really light."

"We exercise a lot," replied Keitaro.

"Do you need help?"

Kimiko looked at Renji, who had asked her the question.

"No…I can walk by myself thank you…"

"Doesn't look like it to me."

"I said I don't want help."

"Ok ok. Geez, I save your life and even offer to help take you to the shop…and this is what I get…"

Kimiko looked regretful. "I'm sorry…I guess…I don't know. I'm just confused right now…"

"Just let me help you take you to the shop. You won't be confused there."

"Are you going to carry me?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm really tired and sleepy…"

Renji smiled. "Sure, why not."

--

The shinigami all hurried to Urahara's shop, since they didn't want to risk another Hollow attack.

Kisuke knew they were coming, and he opened the door.

"Kurosaki-san!" he said happily.

"Hello Urahara-san," replied Ichigo.

"Please, come inside." He noticed the three humans. "Oh. I see we need to help these poor things."

Everybody followed Kisuke inside. Ririn was overjoyed to see Ichigo.

"Ichigo!" she said as she was going to leap on him.

"Woah!" said Keitaro as he grabbed Ririn tightly. "A talking chicken plushie!"

"Hey!" she said. "Don't treat me like I'm some kind of toy!"

"But you are one," replied Keitaro.

"Yeah but I'm alive!"

"Oh. Ok!"

He was obviously unphased by the fact a stuffed animal was speaking to him...

--

Yoruichi set down some pillows and blankets for Kimiko and her brothers. They had bandages wrapped around them here and there. Nova and Cloud brought the boys something to snack on.

"Chocolate chip cookies!" the twins cried happily.

Kimiko looked at the plushies. She smiled. "Wow. Walking and talking stuffed animals! I'm amazed!" She grabbed Nova. "Aww. What a cute little turtle!"

Nova blushed and tucked his head inside his shell. "Um…"

"So," said Kisuke to Kimiko after talking with Toushirou. "You want to know what happened tonight, correct?"

"Yes please."

"Well, it's gonna be a long explanation, so I suggest you listen carefully. By the way, I'm Urahara Kisuke and this is Shionin Yoruichi."

Kimiko nodded. Her brothers began to become drowsy, so they leaned on their sister. Keitaro held Ririn in his arms (who couldn't breathe) and Hiroshi held Cloud. The rabbit plush didn't mind. He liked being loved. And Kimiko kept Nova on her shoulder, who sat down on it.

"Ok," Kisuke said. "The thing that attacked you back there is called a Hollow."

"A Hollow?"

"Yes. Hollows are spirits of the people or animals who have died. They turned to monsters because they became lonely and in order to fill that loneliness, they eat other souls to fill the void and to ease their suffering. But, they aren't necessarily evil. They're not good or bad. They just eat souls to survive. And they usually go after their loved ones first, like friends or family. But they also go after humans with strong spiritual pressure, like yourself."

"Spiritual pressure?"

"It determines how strong you are with your spiritual abilities. Can you see ghosts?"

"Yeah. Clearly."

"Then you have strong spiritual pressure. Some people don't have any at all, and some have it very little. So the more pressure you have, the tastier you'll be to Hollows. That's why it attacked you and your little brothers."

"I see. But then…what are they?" She pointed to Ichigo and the others. "They said that I shouldn't be able to see them, but I can."

"Those my dear, are shinigami."

"Shinigami?"

"Yes, soul reapers. They come from a world known as Soul Society, which watches over the real world and defeats Hollows so they don't hurt the living. All the ones you see before you, except Kurosaki-san, come from Soul Society."

"Then how come they go to my school?"

"We're stationed here," Toushirou said. "We're in Karakura Town to take care of Hollows. But we need a physical identity. So, we were assigned to become high school students."

"But…if you said that people with strong spiritual pressure can only see Hollows and shinigami, then…how can everybody else at school see you?"

"I gave them gigai," Kisuke said.

"What's that?"

"It's an artificial human body in which the shinigami use while in the real world. They can't use their powers while they're in their human forms."

"Oh. But…if it's artificial…does it lack the human qualities?"

"No. It has everything a normal human body would have."

"Wow…"

"So, do you get it now?" Yoruichi said.

"Yes…I think so…But…I still have so many questions…"

"We'll explain tomorrow," Kisuke said. "You look tired. And I see your brothers have already fallen asleep." He noticed the rabbit. "Is that your pet?"

"Yes…Our mother gave her to us…before she died…"

"Oh…I'm sorry."

"It's ok."

"Well, you can stay here for the rest of the night," said Kisuke.

"I don't want to be a bother."

"No really. Your house is probably totaled."

"Just my room…and the rest of my apartment…"

Kisuke smiled. "Don't worry about a thing! We'll fix it up for you and have it better by tomorrow!"

He turned to Tessai. "Take Jinta and Ururu with you to fix up Kawasaki's home."

Tessai nodded. Jinta and Ururu followed him out the door.

"How do you know my name?" asked Kimiko.

"Abarai-san told me!"

She turned to the red head.

"Did you say anything _bad_ about me, Abarai-_san_?"

"No," he replied. "I just said that I felt strong spiritual pressure coming from you earlier today. And that you beat up those three guys." He smiled. "You're really strong."

"Well…at least somebody cares to talk about me in a good way…"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to talk about it…"

"Well then!" said Kisuke as he got up. "I guess we should make your bed Kawasaki-san! Abarai-san! Hop to it!"

"Why me?"

"You still work here if you haven't forgotten."

"You're uncle makes you work?" asked Kimiko. She had overheard Tatsuki's conversation at school.

Kisuke laughed. "So, now I'm your uncle Abarai-san?"

The red head groaned. "I don't want to talk about it…"

--

Almost everyone had went home, except for Toushirou. He was the only one who stayed behind.

"Well," said Renji to Kimiko. "There's your bed. Sorry that you have to sleep on the floor."

"I don't mind. As long as I can get some rest."

She carried her brothers to the bed, and tucked them in. They woke up slowly.

"Nee…chan?" said Hiroshi.

"Yes?"

"Can you sleep with us…just for today?" asked Keitaro.

She smiled. "Of course."

By this time, the plushies had been freed. Kimiko slept in between her brothers. The girl gave each of her brothers a kiss on the head, and as soon as she hit the pillow, she dozed off. Her brothers clung to her. Usagi-chan was in a box lined with ripped newspaper.

Kisuke turned off the lights from the room, and closed the door.

"Well," he said as he sat down on the table with Renji and Toushirou. "What do you suggest we do? We've told her the basics. I'm pretty sure she'll still be curious."

"What are our options?" asked Renji. "Hitsugaya-taichou, you're the leader."

"Well…" began the captain. "We could keep her here, but I doubt she wants to stay."

"So then what?"

"Somebody needs to look after her, since she's not a shinigami. That means one of us is gonna have to live with her and her brothers."

"Who are you gonna pick?" asked Kisuke.

"Ikaku and Yumichika are protecting Keigo, since he has no powers whatsoever, yet he's still a target for Hollows. Orihime can't really fight, so Matsumoto and I are protecting her. Ishida and Chad are pretty strong, so they can take care of themselves. Ichigo and Rukia are taking care of his own family, so they're out of the picture. That leaves only one person." Toushirou looked at Renji.

"Oh no," began Renji as he shook his head. "I'm not protecting this girl!"

Toushirou smiled. "Why not?"

"Because I don't like her attitude. She's like another Rukia…only taller."

"Then you should get along fine. I mean, Rukia was your best friend right? And you got attached to her. So this girl shouldn't be any different."

"Hitsugaya-taichou….I don't want--"

"Just do it Abarai. It's not like it's gonna kill you."

Renji groaned. "Alright…fine. When do I start?"

"Well, tomorrow."

"And when do I tell her?"

"At school. It's better to tell her later, so she can soak up all the information she heard tonight."

"Fine."

"Well," said Toushirou as he got up. "I need to head back to Orihime's. School starts again."

"It's weird how the first day back to school was a Monday. It should be a Friday…" Kisuke said. "Are all human schools like that?"

"I don't know…" Toushirou got up and walked out the door. "Good night Urahara, Abarai." He passed Yoruichi when walking through the shop. "Good night Yoruichi."

"Good night Hitsugaya-taichou."

She came in and closed the door. "So, what's the news?"

"Abarai-san needs to take care of Kawasaki-san," said Kisuke happily. "He needs to live with her."

"Great!" said Yoruichi. "This will give Renji a good chance to get to know the human life better! And maybe even get a girl!"

"Hey," began Renji. "It's not like I wanted to do this…It was Hitsugaya-taichou's orders…"

"Well, in any case, you should still treat her like a girl. And, you need to help her around the house too."

"But I'm gonna be there protecting her. Shouldn't I get out of doing chores just this once?"

"Of course not!" Kisuke said. "You need to be courteous and help Kawasaki-san with her apartment!"

"Man…"

"Well, get to bed Abarai-san. School is tomorrow again, and you don't want to fall asleep in class."

"Ok…Goodnight Urahara-san, Yoruichi-san."

The two nodded.

Renji walked to his room and lay down on the floor. He just stared up at the dark ceiling.

"So…I'm gonna have to live with a human…" he said to himself. "How hard can that be?"

Oh…he was in for a big surprise.

**Hmm...This chapter was kinda short. And not that exciting. D: But I'm already working on the next chapter, and I'll have it up by the end of this week hopefully. :3 I really enjoy writing this story, but I still have two more to finish. -sigh- Oh well...**


	4. Getting to the Point

Getting to the Point

Kimiko opened her eyes. She stared at the ceiling and remembered she was in Urahara's Shop. Hiroshi and Keitaro were fast asleep still. They looked cute when they were in a slumber.

The girl sat up and stretched. She saw the box Usagi-chan was in and peeked. The bunny was sleeping. She looked like a big cotton ball with a pink nose. This made Kimiko smile.

"I wonder what time it is…school starts again."

She got up and opened the sliding door. She quietly looked around for a clock, which she found in the hallway. The time read six thirty. It was still pretty early.

"Oh, good morning Kawasaki-san."

Kimiko turned around to find Kisuke standing behind her.

"Good morning Urahara-san. Um…I'd rather you not call me Kawasaki-san…"

"Oh really? Then what would you like me to call you?"

"Anything less formal."

"How about Kawasaki-chan?"

"That sounds better."

Kisuke smiled. "Kawasaki-chan it is! So, it looks like you're an early bird."

"Well, I'm a little sleepy still, but I just wake up early automatically."

"Are you hungry?"

"Um…a little…"

"Then how about some breakfast? What would you and your brothers like to eat?"

"Hiroshi and Keitaro will eat anything. They're growing boys."

"Alright then! I'll make you some breakfast!"

"Oh…no, please…let me do it."

"But you are our guest."

"Yes but I feel like a burden. At least let me help you a little."

The man smiled. "Ok Kawasaki-chan. You can help me make breakfast! Though…usually Jinta and Ururu make it…Heh heh."

They both heard footsteps behind them.

"Nee-chan?"

Kimiko saw her brothers walking sleepily to the door. Keitaro was holding Usagi-chan in his arms. The girl smiled when she saw her brothers.

"Good morning sleepy heads. Did you have sweet dreams?"

"Yeah, because you protected us while we were sleeping nee-chan."

Kimiko smiled and so did Kisuke.

"Well!" said the man in clogs. "It looks like I need to wake up Jinta and Ururu! You three may sit down on the table if you wish."

"Thank you so much Urahara-san."

--

Renji tossed and turned in his bed on the floor. He was very tired and lazy. He didn't like going to school, but he needed to be occupied since Hollows didn't attack at every second.

"Hey!" said Jinta as he slammed the door open. "Get your ass up Renji! You're gonna be late to school!"

The redhead sat up. His long hair was a mess. "What?"

"You only have ten minutes to get to class!"

"Crap!" Renji was gonna be late to school…on his second day. The redhead got up and began to dress, tying up his hair in it's usual style. Then he rushed through breakfast, just eating a piece of toast and then brushing his teeth.

"See you later Urahara-san, Yoruichi-san!" he said as he grabbed his book bag and ran out the door.

"Ah," said Kisuke. "I feel like he's my son!"

"Why?" asked Jinta. "He's nothing like a son…"

"Him going off to school, living in this house…" He sniffed. "He's like my own child!"

"Oh brother…"

--

Renji ran through the streets of Karakura to the high school. It was almost going to be eight, but he made it to homeroom just in time. He huffed as he stood in the door way.

"What took you so long?" asked Ichigo.

"I woke up late…"

"You must have been tired Renji," Rukia said. "I thought you were going to walk with Kawasaki-san."

"No…she wasn't at the shop in the morning. I guess she left."

"Of course she did," Toushirou said. "She needs to take her brothers to school and she needed to get her things ready, like her uniform and books. I saw her early in the morning today, but I didn't get a chance to talk to her."

"Alright class," said the teacher. "Take your seats so I can call roll."

Everyone took their seats, and Renji collapsed in his. He put his head on his desk.

"Abarai Renji?"

He raised his hand without even lifting up his head. The teacher continued to take roll.

"Kawasaki Kimiko?"

No answer.

"Oh, I forgot. She went to her brother's school."

Ichigo looked at the teacher. "Um…sensei? Why did she go there?"

"Didn't you hear? Her apartment was totaled by a large truck carrying metal crates. Apparently the vehicle went out of control and slammed against the building, the metal crates flying off. They crashed into her bedroom window. Thank goodness she's still alive. Her brothers were a little scared by the whole thing, so she's gonna stay with them until second period." She continued to call names.

Renji looked up. _Huh? Did Hitsugaya-taichou erase Kimiko's memory? No...I don't think so...probably everyone else thought a truck caused the damage..._

"Well then," said the teacher. "Now that I have finished taking attendance, turn in your summer vacation essay."

The shinigami didn't have to turn in one because they were new, so the teacher excused them. But she told them that she expected a vacation essay once they are let out of school during the holidays.

The bell rang to go to first period.

"Have a nice day class!"

--

"Well," said Toushirou as he looked at the burger somewhat disgusted. "At least it _looks_ better than Matsumoto's cooking…"

"Taichou!" said his assistant. "How could you say that? I'm hurt." She crossed her arms and pouted. "And I was told that kind of food makes you fat."

"At least it won't kill you instantly…"

Renji poked at his macaroni and cheese. "What's this?"

"Oh," said Ichigo. "I forgot you guys haven't eaten this food before. It's called macaroni and cheese. It's an American food."

"Why do you eat American food when you live in Japan?"

"It's industrialized!" said Rukia happily. "All around the world people eat American food. And Japan is one of them!" She looked at Renji's food tray. "That there is called mashed potatoes and wow…you even got a box that contains juice! It's apple flavored." She was proud of herself that she knew more about being human than Renji or the others.

"Nice Rukia," Ichigo commented. "You're really proud huh?"

"Of course! I'm starting to get the hang of this juice box thing." She inserted the straw in the foil hole. "Yes! I got it! Ha! I can overcome anything!"

Ichigo smiled. "Bravo. You want a medal for that?"

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "Sure, why not?" she said sarcastically. "Be quiet Ichigo…"

He only laughed.

The other shinigami looked at their food in a weird way.

"Sorry," Orihime said. "But the school cafeteria is all out of rice…so you're just gonna have to eat that instead."

Matsumoto took a bite out of her sandwich. Then she ate some macaroni. "Wow! This is very good! Taichou, you should try it."

"I'd rather not," replied the boy.

"Ichigoooooo!" cried Keigo as he squeezed himself next to his friend. "You didn't tell me you were eating in the cafeteria today! I went up to the roof and found out they were doing some construction!"

"Well duh. Don't you read the school bulletins in homeroom?"

"No! Anyway, mind if I join you guys?"

"Sure…you already invited yourself…"

Tatsuki and the other girls came in. "Orihime! Wanna sit with us today?"

"Ok Tatsuki-chan." She turned to Ichigo. "You don't mind right, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Of course not." He smiled. "You can go if you want."

"Ok."

"Oh," Tatsuki continued. "You can bring Rukia and Matsumoto too if you want."

Orihime turned to the two shinigami. "Do you girls want to join us?"

"Ok," Rukia replied.

"Sure!" Matsumoto said happily. "I don't like being around all these sweaty and smelly guys."

"We didn't even have gym class yet…" Ichigo stated.

"Goodbye taichou!" Matsumoto said. "I'll miss you!"

"You'll only be gone for thirty minutes…"

"I know, but I'll still miss you!" She gave him a huge hug, in which Toushirou couldn't breathe due to his assistant's large chest.

"Matsumoto!!" he said in a muffled voice.

"Yes taichou?"

"Let go of me! I can't breathe!" He tried pushing himself away, but it was to no avail.

"Oh, sorry taichou." She let go of him and smiled. He was breathing in and out trying to catch his breath. Matsumoto giggled. "You're the cutest taichou ever!"

He shot a death glare at her, but she only continued to smile.

"Ok Orihime! I'll join you and your friends!" The three girls walked over to Tatsuki and the rest.

Keigo looked at Toushirou. "How do you do it Toushirou?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You get all the attention from women! First of all, yesterday in class all the girls were giggling. They think you're adorable! And second, how in the world did you get such a hot girlfriend like Matsumoto-san?!"

"First of all, she's not my girlfriend. She is more of a sister. Second, I don't care if the other girls think I am _adorable_. As long as nobody calls me little, I'm fine. And third, I don't attract women on purpose. I could care less."

"I think it's just the fact that Hitsugaya-taichou is so young to be in highschool that it makes the girls like him more," Renji said.

"Why do you guys call him Hitsugaya-taichou?" asked Keigo.

"Oh…" began Renji. "Well…uh…"

"He's the most mature," Ichigo replied. "These guys have been friends for a long time and Toushirou is like their leader. So he got the nickname Hitsugaya-taichou, despite his age and appearance."

"Nice save," Ishida whispered to Ichigo.

"Well anyway," Keigo said. "It's nice to have you back Ichigo. Mizuro isn't around much since he's always with his girlfriend now…" He sighed. "So you're stuck with me!"

"Oh joy…"

The cafeteria door opened and Kimiko walked in, her book bag in her hand. She sat down and put her head on the table. She had a bandage around her left leg and right arm.

"Oh," said Keigo. "There's Kawasaki-chan." He smiled. "I haven't seen her around a lot, but now that she's in our homeroom this year, I intend to get to know her better!"

"It's no use trying to hit on her," Ichigo said. "She'll most likely hit you back…literally."

"Well, I think she's unique and pretty. But…why does she have those bandages?"

"Not sure. Maybe it has to do with the fact that her apartment was almost obliterated last night."

Orihime and the other girls walked up to Kimiko. "Good afternoon Kawasaki-san!"

Kimiko looked up and smiled faintly. "Hello Orihime."

"Are you hungry?"

"Not really." He stomach growled. She looked embarrassed. "Ok…well, maybe a little…but I forgot my lunch money at home…so I can't eat until I get back to my house."

"No worries," Tatsuki said. "You can have some of my food." She put down a tray that had half of a sandwich, a juice box, and small cookies.

"It's okay. I don't want to take your food. It's my own fault."

"Come on now. Don't be hard on yourself. Eat up."

"Thanks Tatsuki."

"Hey, what are friends for?"

Kimiko looked at her. Tatsuki smiled, and so did the other girls. "We're all your friends Kimiko. That is, if you want us to be."

The girl smiled. She decided to give friendship another shot. "Ok."

"Oh Kimiko-chan!" said Chizuru as she held the girl's hand in hers. "I've never noticed how beautiful you are up close!"

"Uh…excuse me?"

The redhead smiled. "Say, why don't you and I take a walk in the park after school? I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

Tatsuki yanked Chizuru away from Kimiko. "Yeah, I don't think so. Forgive her Kim. She's not exactly normal."

"You aren't either Tatsuki!" cried Chizuru. "I would be attracted to you too if you didn't act like a guy all the time!"

"Oh shut up!"

Kimiko only laughed. This made Tatsuki happy to see her like this. Lately, Kimiko hadn't been in the happiest of spirits.

Chizuru noticed the bandages on her arm. She also hadn't heard about the accident with the truck and metal crates. The girl gave a gasp. "Oh my! Kimi-chan! What happened to your arm and leg?!"

Ichigo and the others instantly looked back at the table. They were afraid that Kimiko would give away the secret of Hollows and shinigami.

"Well," she began. "Last night my brothers woke with a scream, so I got up and ran to their room. They were disturbed, so I took them to my room since they wanted to stay with me until they could fall asleep. And then, I looked out my window and saw a giant--"

The shinigami gasped. Renji darted out of his seat towards the girl and shoved a handful of cookies in her mouth. Ichigo followed him, who immediately began a random conversation to help the cause.

"Hey Kim!" Renji said. "How do you like those sweets? Pretty good huh? Yeah, I like them myself too."

Tatsuki and the others looked surprised at Renji and Ichigo. The girl then looked at Kimiko, who was fuming.

"Uh oh…Um…Renji?"

"I need to tell Kim something!" he said as he grabbed Kimiko by the arm. He led her out of the cafeteria.

"Huh?" Chizuru looked at the door. "What's so important? Hey! He took away my Kimi-chan!!"

"I feel bad for Renji…" Tatsuki said. "Kim doesn't like to be grabbed like that…"

--

Kimiko was against the wall, Renji holding on to her shoulders.

"Don't say a word to them about the Hollow or us shinigami! Nobody is supposed to know!"

Kimiko glared daggers at him. "Just who the _hell_ do you think you are?!"

"Huh?"

--

Ichigo sighed in relief. Rukia just looked at him.

"What was that all about Ichigo?"

He looked at her. "What do you think?"

The doors slammed open and Renji flew towards the wall. Everybody else looked wide-eyed.

"What the hell?!" Ikaku shouted. "Hey Renji, what happened to you?"

The redhead sat up and held his head. "Oh…my head…"

Kimiko stood in the doorway, furious. Her glare was intimidating. If looks could kill, well…this would be one of those looks.

She stormed over to Renji. The rest of the students stood out of her way. Tatsuki sighed. "He shouldn't of done that…"

Kimiko grabbed Renji by the collar and held him up against the wall.

"Don't you _ever _grab me like that again. Or I will seriously hurt you Abarai Renji. Do I make myself clear?!"

Her eyes raged with anger. Renji gulped. She was even scarier than Rukia. "Ok..."

"And by the way," she whispered to him. "I wasn't going to tell anybody about the secret! What kind of person do you think I am!? Secrets are meant to be kept! That's why they're called secrets!"

"R-right...I'm sorry."

Kimiko let go of him and shook her head. "Boys..." She walked over to the girls and glared at Ichigo. "_You're_ not gonna try something funny with me are you Ichigo?"

"No...but I think I'll walk back to my table now..."

Rukia sweatdropped. "Idiots..."

Ichigo and Renji returned to the guy's table and sat down. Renji's head still hurt.

"You're both morons," Toushirou said to them both. "When I saw Kawasaki in the morning, I told her to not say anything about what happened yesterday. And she agreed, so you have nothing to worry about."

"What's the secret?" asked Keigo hopefully.

"It's a secret so we can't tell you," replied Ichigo.

"You're so mean!!"

The two then started a minor argument.

"Hitsugaya-taichou," Ikaku began to ask. "What's so special about this girl anyway?"

"I can't say...but...I have a gut feeling about this woman...her spiritual pressure is enormous, like Kurosaki's."

Back at the girl's table, Chizuru took Kimiko's hand. "Oh are you ok my lovely?! What did that guy do to you?!"

Tatsuki yanked her away once more. "Whatever it was, it was probably more normal than what you would of done!"

"Shut up!" She turned to Kimiko. "He didn't harrass you, right Kimi-chan?"

"What? No...but I hate being tugged like that...I don't like it when people touch me unexpectedly...I feel violated..."

"And you should," Tatsuki said. "I'm glad you know how to defend yourself Kim."

"Speaking of which, we have karate practice today right?"

"Yes. If you want...we can go together." She smiled, and Kimiko returned the expression.

"Ok. But, I need to pick up my brother's first."

"Alright. I'll go with you. Orihime, wanna come?"

"Ok!" she said happily. "Matsumoto-san, you'll be ok at my house right?"

"Of course!" replied the woman. "And I'll make sure taichou doesn't do anything drastic!"

Orihime smiled.

--

It was afterschool. Kimiko and Tatsuki went to go pick up Keitaro and Hiroshi. Then the four went to the dojo so Kimiko and Tatsuki could practice with the other students.

Keitaro and Hiroshi waited outside on the bench. They began to do their homework. Orihime walked over to them.

"Hello!" she said sweetly. "You two are Keitaro and Hiroshi right? Kawasaki-san's brothers."

"Yes," replied Keitaro. "Um...what's you're name again?"

"Inoue Orihime!"

"Can we call you Orihime-chan?" asked Hiroshi.

"Sure! So, whatcha doing?"

"Oh, we're doing our homework. Nee-chan insists. She doesn't want us staying up late finishing it."

"Do you need help?"

"No, I think we got it," Keitaro said. He smiled as the girl smiled back. Both brothers were happy that their sister finally decided to let people become her friends again.

--

After practice, Tatsuki and Orihime walked back home. Kimiko and her brothers were on their way to the apartment. Kisuke had told her that it was fixed, and hopefully it was...

But that's when they heard a screech from behind. Kimiko turned around, but saw nothing. Then she looked up, and saw a flying Hollow coming towards her.

"Keitaro, Hiroshi! Run!"

The brothers were once again scared. Kimiko grabbed their hands and dragged them around Karakura's alleys. The monster was still overhead, and he was gaining.

Kimiko had to defend her brothers again. The little twins didn't run that fast, so they were slowing her down. The Hollow came closer to the ground at a steady rate. He was a few yards away from them.

"Keitaro, Hiroshi, keep running!"

"No nee-chan!" shouted Keitaro. "We're not leaving you again!"

"We wanna help!" Hiroshi replied.

"I said go!" She looked around for a weapon of some sort, but found none.

"Damn it...I'm gonna have to use martial arts then..."

The Hollow came closer and accelerated at Kimiko. She was prepared to attack, when...

"Howl Zabimaru!"

A sword extended and ripped through the Hollow. He disappeared. Kimiko knew that voice. She turned around to find her brothers clinging to Renji.

"Renji-san!" cried Keitaro. He remembered his name for some reason. "You...you saved nee-chan again! Thank you so much!"

"She would of died!" Hiroshi added. "Renji...nii-san!"

He looked at the boys bewildered. "Uh...you're welcome."

Kimiko walked over to him. "Saved me again...I don't need help..."

"Yeah you do." Renji's sword returned to it's normal state and he put it away. "Your arm and leg are hurt. And you don't have any weapon."

"I can fight for myself."

"Sure...but martial arts won't necessarily help you against Hollows. Their hides are really tough."

"Thanks for the info..." She grabbed her brother's hands. "Well, we need to be going now."

"By Renji nii-san!" said Keitaro.

"Yeah nii-san!" replied Hiroshi.

Renji waved at them. Then he remembered that he was going to tell Kimiko about what Kisuke and Toushirou had agreed.

"Hey Kim!"

She turned around. "Yes?"

He forgot what he was going to say. "Uh...sorry about earlier at school. I didn't mean to--"

"I know."

She continued walking home with her brothers.

"You chickened out."

Renji turned around to find Ichigo and Rukia standing behind him.

"Oh. Hey Ichigo, Rukia."

"You need to tell her," Rukia said. Toushirou had informed the rest of the shinigami about his decision. "Otherwise it might be too late next time."

"Yeah I know..."

"You're afraid huh?" asked Ichigo. "Look...it's not bad being human. I mean, yeah, it has it's downfalls, but overall it's good. And living with a girl isn't horrible. I have two little sisters...and now Rukia...trust me, I've been there. You'll get used to it after a while."

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean Kurosaki?" Rukia asked sternly. She crossed her arms.

"Nothing Rukia..."

Renji sighed. He didn't know why, but he just couldn't tell this human that he needs to protect her from Hollows.

--

Lunch the next day was normal again. The girls hung around their own table, and the guys did the same. The roof was still under construction, so nobody could go up there.

Toushirou and the others got used to eating the American school food, even though the snowy boy didn't like everything they had to offer.

Kimiko began to walk over to them.

"Now what does she want?" Renji said. "I feel like she's gonna attack me..."

"Have you told her yet?" asked Toushirou.

"No..."

"Abarai...this plan is very crucial. If we're gonna save this girl, you need to protect her."

"But why me? I mean, what's so special about me? And what's so special about her?"

"For one, you're the only shinigami available since the rest of us are protecting easy targets for Aizen to get his hands on. The people were are protecting connect to Kurosaki, and so we need to watch over them."

"Well Kimiko isn't one of those people."

"She is now. Kimiko has become one of our friends and if Aizen finds out, he'll target her too. It's a chain reaction Abarai. That's why we need to protect her. And you are the vice captain of sixth division, so you'll be a perfect bodygaurd."

"Well...I still don't know what's so special about her...besides the spiritual pressure."

Toushirou smiled, something he never really did. "Maybe you'll find out once you get to know her."

Renji raised an eyebrow.

Kimiko came up to them. She looked at all of them and they blinked.

"Uh...hey?" Ichigo said.

"Something wrong Kawasaki?" asked Toushirou.

"Yeah, you look kinda...longing," Ikaku stated.

Kimiko looked at them and for a moment was quiet. Then she began to talk. "Please..." She got on her knees and hands and put her head down on the floor, begging.

"Teach me how to become a shinigami!"

**Eh...I hope this chapter was more interesting than the last one...um...I don't think I'll update until I get about five reviews...Besides, I need to write the other chapters to my remaining stories.**


	5. Things You Need To Know

**Hmm...ok, I got five reviews. I was actually gonna write this chapter anyway, but I decided, no, I wanna wait and see if people are actually that eager to read this story...and wow! I can't believe I got five reviews! Thank you everyone! :D So, since you guys love my story, I think I'll update this more often. Think of it as my little present to you. Of course, reviews would always be nice. ;3**

Things You Need To Know

The shinigami looked at Kimiko with wide eyes. People were staring.

"What is she doing?"

"Is she trying to lick the floor clean?"

"Darn...I wish her skirt would of been shorter..."

Renji stood up and grabbed Kimiko by the arm. He sighed and looked at the rest of the students. "Alright, there's nothing to see here so go back to your buisness. Her brain just isn't in tact." Renji was afraid that Kimiko was gonna hurt him, but she didn't and sat in Renji's spot. Toushirou was next to her.

"Kimiko," said the boy. "Don't talk so loud...If you don't remember, I told you not to say anything about us shinigami." He got used to calling her by her first name.

"I know Toushirou-kun..." she began. "And I'm sorry I yelled." She looked at him with sad eyes, which made him feel somewhat sorry for her. "But please...teach me how to gain powers like yours!"

"Why would you want that?" asked Ichigo. "It's not all that fun."

"I need to protect my brothers!" she cried. "Please!"

"You can't become a shinigami just like that," Ikaku said. "You need years of training and even book work to become a shinigami. By then your brothers will be gone."

Kimiko looked even more depressed.

"Nice job Ikaku," Yumichika said.

"Why do you ask anyway?" said Renji. "Being a shinigami is hard. And you're always called out to defeat Hollows."

"But you don't understand!" Kimiko was upset. "Yesterday when you saved me, I realized that I can't always rely on you guys! I need to fight for myself! You won't always be here! You might end up going back to that soul world or whatever!"

Renji sighed and Ichigo put his hand on his forehead. Toushirou crossed his arms and looked out the window.

"I'm sorry Kimiko...but--"

She grabbed him by the collar, Toushirou in shock. "Please Toushirou-kun! You're a Captain right? I'm sure you can do something!"

He looked at her, and then down. "I don't think I can..." He gently placed his hands on her wrists and freed himself from her grasp. "Look...I'll see what I can do, but...nothing is certain yet."

"But...Toushirou-kun...didn't you tell me that Ichigo became a shinigami without even having to go to that academy thing?"

"It was because I lived here in the real world first," Ichigo replied. "And I didn't ask for the powers. Rukia gave them to me, and well, the rest is a long story, so now I'm stuck with permanent shinigami powers."

"Then why can't I be the same?!" She was almost crying. None of them had ever seen her like this.

Renji spoke. "It's because Ichigo got lucky. Since you have us, you don't need to have powers like a shinigami."

"I already told you! What if you guys aren't around?! How am I supposed to protect my brothers?! They're the only family I have!!"

Toushirou stared at his food. You could tell he was thinking. Renji sighed.

"Kim...we can't do anything--"

"It's Kimiko to you!"

"Fine! Kimiko, we can't do anything for you...really...Ichigo had a special case..."

She still looked like she was gonna cry, but then glared and got up off her seat. "Fine," she said in a shaky voice. "Be an ass. See if I care..."

She walked away, hurt, stressed, angry, and sad. Kimiko didn't even return to the girl's table. She just walked out of the cafeteria.

Orihime, Rukia, and Matsumoto walked over to the guys, while Tatsuki went outside to find Kimiko. Keigo followed, but it's not like he'd do anything useful.

"What happend taichou?" asked Matsumoto.

"It seems like Kimiko wants to become a shinigami."

"Well, can't she?" asked Orihime. "I mean Kurosaki-kun became one without having to have training in Soul Society right?"

"That's not the point..." said Rukia. "Ichigo got into this whole mess because of me. Kimiko...I don't think we should drag another person into the Soul Society life...we've already endangered enough people...that include Ishida, Sado, and you Inoue."

Orihime looked a little sad. Toushirou sighed and said "Kuchiki has a point. Kurosaki only got involved in all of this because he was lent shinigami powers. If Kimiko gets involved, she'll be endangered, and I don't think we'd want to have anymore people at risk."

The little captain looked at Renji. "By the way Abarai, have you told her about our decision?"

Renji rubbed the back of his neck. "Well...no...not exactly Hitsugaya-taichou..."

"Abarai, stop wasting time. Look, she's already upset. If she can't have shinigami abilities, then at least protect her until I can come up with something."

Everyone present looked at Toushirou. "What are you saying taichou?" asked Matsumoto. "You...you're actually thinking of making Kimiko a shinigami representative?"

"Yes. Kurosaki hasn't been the only representative you know. There have been many others. Why not have one more?"

"But..." began Ikaku. "Why Hitsugaya-taichou?"

"Didn't you hear her? She wants to protect her brothers. They're still too young to know what's going on. They're the same age as Kurosaki's sisters."

Toushirou looked at everyone. "I don't want to discuss this further. For now, I need to think. Meanwhile," He shot a glance at Renji. "Abarai is gonna tell that girl he needs to protect her. Stop wasting time."

"I know! It's just..."

"Just what?" Toushirou raised an eyebrow. He was really starting to get tired of Renji's excuses.

"Just do it Renji," Ichigo said. "If Kimiko can't become a shinigami, then at least she'll have someone who can."

The redhead sighed. "Alright fine...I'll tell her soon..."

--

The next day, Kimiko hadn't talked to any of the shinigami at all. And she hadn't even joined the girls at lunch.

Tatsuki sighed. "Oh great...Kim's closed herself off again..." She put her hand on her forehead. "And just when things were getting better..."

The girl looked over at the guy's table, and decided to walk over there. When she reached them, she asked "What did you do to Kimiko?"

The guys blinked, and then pointed at Renji, who growled. "You damn bastards..." Tatsuki grabbed the redhead by the collar and glared into his eyes.

"I don't know what you did to Kimiko, but you better fix it Renji. I'm not kidding around."

"And why do you think it's _me_ who caused her pain?!"

"Because yesterday I saw her yell at you last! That's how I know!" She let go of him and turned around to walk back to the girls.

Toushirou looked out the window, and noticed a girl sitting under the tree. It was Kimiko, and she was by herself, nobody else around. He saw her holding something in her hand, which looked like a photo. Then she put it away, and hugged her knees. Her head was buried in her arms. The boy could tell she was crying.

"Renji..." he said. It was weird for the Captain to call him that. "If you won't tell Kimiko that you need to protect her, I'll tell her myself. It'll make it even worse for you. My patience has grown thin."

His tone of voice made everyone a little frightened. Matsumoto could tell her taichou wasn't kidding. She looked at Renji, who just had an unsure expression on his face.

"Ok...I understand..."

The bell rang, and it was time to go to their next class.

--

Finally, it was Friday. Ichigo had told the others that Friday was the last day of school for the week, so they would have Saturday and Sunday off. The shinigami felt relieved, because the human school was a lot more stressing than the shinigami academy.

At lunch, things returned to normal, except that Kimiko still hadn't returned. Tatsuki glared at Renji from across the room, which made the redhead shudder.

Slowly, the door opened and Kimiko walked inside. She still looked a little depressed and walked to an empty table. The girl took out her homework and began to finish it.

Tatsuki wished that she would have come and sit with the girls, but Kimiko was still upset, and Tatsuki didn't want to bother her. When she was upset, she wouldn't want to talk about anything, and this caused the girl to once again, distance herself from people.

"Now Renji," Rukia said in a stern voice. He looked at her grudgingly and went over to Kimiko. He stood in front of her table and said "Hey."

Kimiko looked up, and then back down to her work. She replied with a soft "Hey."

"May I sit down?"

"I don't care..."

Renji sat down on the opposite side. "Look...I know you were upset about not letting us make you a shinigami...Hitsugaya-taichou is still trying to figure out a way to help you...but for now, he...um..."

Kimiko looked at him and blinked. "He what?"

"Well..." The redhead rubbed the back of his neck. "Since you can't fight Hollows...and since you're so worried about your brothers...he decided that I should be your personal bodygaurd or something..."

"Meaning?"

"That...I'm gonna have to protect you and your brothers from Hollows...but since they can also attack you while you're home...Hitsugaya-taichou thought it'd be best if I...took residence in your house." He looked at her, somewhat nervous.

She merely blinked again, no expression on her face. "Is it really that hard to say 'I'm gonna come and live with you to protect your family' Renji? Geez...you make things harder for yourself..."

"Well I wasn't gonna say it straightforward! That would of made me sound eager!"

"Are you?"

"No!"

"I see." She began to put her books away. "Well, I don't really care. I mean, if I can't become a shinigami, then why even bother trying to protect me? It's obvious that you don't want to help, so that's fine. You have better things to be doing than gaurding some girl's life. Go out and complete your missions Toushirou-kun gives you. Go have fun with your friends. I don't care anymore...It's hopeless...besides...maybe it'll be a good thing...if I died..." She looked sad, but somewhat happy as she stared at the table. "That way..." she said so quietly that Renji couldn't hear her. "I can see them again...forever..."

Kimiko got up and was about to walk away, when Renji grabbed her wrist and said "Don't say things like that. Are you suicidal or something?"

"No...I don't allow myself to be. Otherwise, who'd protect my brothers? Nobody...and I don't want them to be adopted...so I try to be the best big sister I can be...I try to be the best mother I can be..."

"What are you talking about?"

"I have no parents...they died when I was ten...my brothers were still young...and now I need to be both their sister and mother. It's hard...but it's rewarding to see them happy and safe." She smiled sadly. "That's why I want to become a shinigami...so I can protect them from Hollows...so that they can live...they're the only family I have left..." Tears fell from her eyes. "I don't want them to die too..."

Renji looked at the girl. He felt a whole lot of sympathy for her. _Maybe that's why Hitsugaya-taichou wants me to protect her..._

"Kimiko...I'll...I'll protect you and your brothers."

She looked up at him, tears staining her cheeks. Renji didn't want to look at her, because he hates to see girls cry.

"Look, it's no big deal really. I'm fine with this job. Hey, I'll finally be out of Urahara's Shop. I don't liked being bossed around...and then you and your brothers will be safe. I know you want to become like us Kimiko, but these things take time. Hitsugaya-taichou is very generous and thoughtful, even though he may seem cold at first." He tried to look at her and smiled. "Hey, maybe you can even teach me some of this human stuff."

Kimiko wiped away her tears and said "Alright..." She smiled at him, and he smiled back, only to find a fist in his face.

"Ow! What the hell did you do that for?!"

"That was for yesterday. I told you I didn't like being touched!"

Renji rubbed his nose. He was surprised it wasn't bleeding. "You're not the nicest of girls are you?"

Kimiko smiled. "Nope. And don't think it'll happen anytime soon either." She began to walk towards Toushirou and the rest.

"Thank you Hitsugaya-taichou," she said as she bowed. "I'll try and treat Renji nicely."

"Actually, it's supposed to be the other way around. He's the one who needs to treat you nicely. And you can just call me Toushirou."

"Hey, how come I can't call you that?" asked Ichigo.

"Because you've never called me Hitsugaya-taichou once. She has. And that's why she gets to call me by my first name. You lack respect Kurosaki."

"Thank you Toushirou-kun." Kimiko walked up to him and gave him a hug. "Wow, you're so nice to hug! And so cute!" She touched his hair. "Wow, your white hair is so soft!" She hugged him again, practically cuddling him. He reminded her of her brothers.

"Great..." he mumbled. "Here comes another Matsumoto..." Matsumoto only laughed.

Tatsuki smiled from across the room. "She finally opened up to somebody."

--

"Huh? Why does Renji nii-san have to stay with us?" asked Hiroshi. Kimiko and Renji had went to go pick up the twins at their school.

"I'll tell you later Hiro. Anyway, let's get going to the market. You guys want dinner right?"

Her brother's beamed. "Yes nee-chan!" They looked at Renji. "And I'm sure Renji nii-san would love your cooking!" The twins grabbed Renji and said "Alright, let's head to the market! Come on Renji nii-san!"

"Hey, I don't even know where it is!"

Tsunamoto laughed. "Well, your brothers seem to be fond of him."

"They are."

"You sure picked out a very handsome young man to live with Kimiko-chan."

The girl blushed. "Well, it's not like it's gonna be forever! This is temporary! And I'm not gonna marry him or anything..."

The teacher just laughed. "Alright Kimiko-chan, I understand."

"Well, by Tsunamoto-sensei!"

"Goodbye dear! And congrats on the new boyfriend!"

"He's not my boyfriend!"

--

Renji was astounded by the huge supermarket. "Just what exactly is this place?"

"It's called the supermarket Renji nii-san," Keitaro said. "It's where we get all of our groceries."

Kimiko took out a list from her book bag and handed it to Keitaro and Hiroshi. "Ok, you boys go on ahead and get all the things we need. But don't wander to far!"

"Alright nee-chan!" The twins raced into the market, looking for the things on their list. Kimiko pushed the cart into the produce section.

"This century is so advanced," Renji said as he looked around. "There is so much food here..."

"Stop staring around like that Renji...it makes you look like an idiot..."

"Hey!"

"Well it's true! I won't lie!" Kimiko looked at her own list. "Now then, we need to get some fruit. You do know what all of these fruits are, right Renji?"

She shoved the list in his face and he growled. "Yes...I know what a banana is...and an apple...Hell I know all of these! Stop treating me like I'm stupid! I haven't gotten used to this time period!"

Kimiko smiled. "That's why I'm gonna teach you."

"Why do I feel like there's more to that sentence than meets the eye...?"

--

At the cash register, Renji was still amazed. The sliding counter had him in awe. Hiroshi and Keitaro pulled him away so they could go and pack the groceries, and also because they didn't want to be seen with somebody who looked like a moron.

"Hey Kim," said the employee. "Come back to make more dinner?"

"Yes, I have." She smiled. "But I have to buy more food now, since there's one more mouth to feed..."

"Oh, that young man with the red hair you mean. Well, shouldn't be helping you?"

"He's...er...getting used to living here. So I'll give him a handicap for a while. Besides, he's already helping me out with a lot of other things."

"Ok, I see. But might I say Kim, how did you get an attractive guy like that?"

"Eh, he's not as attractive as you may think. Not much up here." She tapped her noggin with her finger. The cashier laughed.

"Nee-chaaaaaan!" called Keitaro. "We have all the groceries!"

"Ok!" She payed for the food. "Well, I'll see you later."

"Alright. Bye Kim!"

--

It was sunset and Kimiko walked to her apartment, the other three not far behind. Renji looked at the complex when they stopped. "You live here?"

"Yeah...it's not very big, but hey, they're apartments. Come on."

They walked up the stairs and she unlocked the door. "Take off your shoes Renji."

All four stepped inside and placed the groceries on the table. Renji looked around. While it was a small place, it sure did look comfy.

Keitaro and Hiroshi put the groceries away while Kimiko got out her cooking utensils. Renji wandered around the living room, looking at all the furniture. There were a lot of framed photos, mostly of Kimiko and her brothers.

The redhead noticed a photo hanging on the wall. It was of Kimiko and her brothers, but they were younger, and two adults stood by them. He guessed these must of been her parents. They all looked so happy in the photo. "So this is what she was talking about..." He smiled. "Well, at least she had a family...unlike me..."

The door bell rang and Kimiko said "Renji, can you get that please?"

"Alright." He walked to the door and opened it, only to find Urahara in front of him, Renji's bags in his hands.

"Ah, hello Abarai-san! I brought your things since I heard you finally decided to stay with Kawasaki-chan." He handed the boy his stuff. "Now, play nice with her and also help around the house. Don't do anything with the young miss that you would regret."

Renji glared. "Whay kind of guy do you think I am?"

"Oh it's just that you're taller and obviously much more bigger than her, which would clearly give you an advantage. That's all."

Kimiko walked to the door and smiled when she saw the man in clogs. "Oh hello Urahara-san! I'm making dinner. Would you like to stay for some?"

Kisuke smiled and was about to say yes, when Renji cut him off and said "No, he has a lot of things to do. Well, see you around Urahara-san."

"Hey! Abarai-san! That wasn't very--" The door was shut in his face. Kimiko sweatdropped.

"Yeah...ok...well anyway Renji, have a seat at the table. But you're gonna help me wash dishes after."

"That's fine." He sat down and just looked around. For not having parents, Kimiko sure knew how to keep the house in shape. He saw how she and her brothers were each contributing their part to making dinner. Renji saw how close Kimiko and her brothers were, seeing them smile and laugh. He knew that what the three had was special, and if one of them died, they'd be torn apart. He remembered what Kimiko had told him at lunch. Now, he became determined to make sure this family of three would be safe from Hollows.

"Hey Kimiko...um...is there anything I can do to help?"

She turned her head to look at him. "Well, you can help by setting the table Renji. The dishes are in the cabinet."

The redhead got the dishes and asked "What are we gonna need? Plates or bowls?"

"Both."

He got out four of each and set them on the table, along with chopsticks and cups. It felt a little weird helping out like this, but at the same time, it felt nice.

"Alright," Kimiko said. "Dinner's done."

"Already?"

"Yup." She put down the dinner on the table, which was a lot of rice, some shrimp, and ramen. "Sorry, I had to buy the ramen already made. I really couldn't afford to buy all the ingredients. Oh and sorry there isn't much but shrimp and rice. I'll make some cake though, American style with chocolate."

Renji smiled at her. "It's ok. I actually should be helping you with the expenses anyway."

"Well, you can start next week Renji. Right now, let's just eat because I'm hungry."

--

After dinner, Kimiko made a chocolate cake, just like she promised. It was all chocolate: the breaded cake itself and the frosting on top. She cut it in four huge slices and gave everybody a piece.

"Would you like milk Keitaro?"

"Yes nee-chan! Please!"

"Um...me too nee-chan? Please?"

Kimiko giggled. "Ok, you can have some too Hiroshi. Renji?"

"Does it taste like coffee?"

"No...I don't even know why you'd even ask that..."

"I'm just checking."

Kimiko cracked a grin, which made the redhead smile too. "I'll just get you some milk so you don't hurt yourself drinking a foreign liquid."

--

Since it was Friday, Keitaro and Hiroshi were allowed to stay up later. They played with Usagi-chan and groomed her, then played video games with each other.

Kimiko meanwhile was answering any questions Renji had. She also told him the house rules.

"Ok, one, always take off your shoes before entering. Two, we all get an equal share of chores."

"More chores...great..."

"Three, no bringing home girlfriends because I don't trust that you two will stay decent. I would rather have Keitaro and Hiroshi unexposed to things they don't need to see."

"What the hell? I don't even have a girlfriend!"

"Then that's even better. Four, try not to make a lot of noise because the neighbors downstairs won't like it. Finally, five, _I _wear the pants in this family and whatever I say goes." She looked at Renji. "Got that?"

"Yeah yeah..."

"Alright then." She stood quiet for a moment and said "We only have two bedrooms, so you're gonna have to sleep on the couch. Is that ok?"

"Yes. I don't mind. It's better than sleeping on the hard floor at Urahara-san's place..."

"Ok." She went to the closet in the hall and took out some extra blankets and a pillow. "Here. Start making your bed. I'll be in the shower." She untied her hair from it's ponytail and it fell down past her shoulders.

"Yeah ok."

With that she walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

--

"Ok! We're ready nee-chan!" called Keitaro from his room.

"Alright, I'm coming." Kimiko walked over to her brother's room and kissed them goodnight. "Maybe we'll do something tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok nee-chan" Hiroshi replied. "It doesn't matter. As long as you're with us, we're happy."

Keitaro nodded and Kimiko smiled. "Thank you. I like to hear that." She turned off their light and closed the door.

"Alright Renji lights out."

"Already?" He was watching TV, something he wasn't allowed to do back at the shop.

"Yes already! It's eleven!"

"Oh ok..." He turned off the television and put the remote down. Kimiko put her hand on her hips. "I'm a little afraid that you'll get used to being here with all this technology and you won't do anything useful."

Renji sighed. "Kimiko...don't worry...I'll still help around the house. I'd rather do chores willingly than have you beat me until I do..." He untied his long red hair and covered himself with the blanket.

"Don't snore either Renji. I don't like it when people snore."

"Well it's not like people can actually controll their snoring! And I don't even snore!"

"That's good to know."

Renji grumbled and settled himself down on the couch, which was really comfortable unlike Urahara's hard floor. Kimiko shook her head and smiled. She walked over to him. "Good night Renji."

"Yeah, night."

The girl placed a kiss on his forehead and he looked at her surprisingly. She only smiled and walked to her room, closing the door behind her. Renji stared at the ceiling, his hands behind his head. He smiled.

"Well...I guess living with her isn't so hard after all. Not yet anyway...Still..." He grinned when he thought about the first time he came in here. "She's treating me like family...and that is something that deserves to be saved."

He began to drift to sleep, peacefully.

**Can you believe I wrote this in about two hours in one day? O.o Yeah, well, there's your chapter folks. Hope you liked it. Tell me how I'm doing so far. :D And I like to think of Shirou-chan as the authority figure of the shinigami, yet also showing a soft spot. **

**Um...Shirou-chan is my favorite Bleach character cuz he's just so adorable. X3 Second would be Ulquiorra because he's my Kitty-kun, and third is of course, Renji. I really really love Renji. x3x**


	6. Chores and More

**Well, here's the new chapter. Sorry it's a little late...but I got caught up on my other two stories. Oops. -sweatdrop- And also because...I kinda had writer's block. I hate that!! Also, forgive me for the lame title...I couldn't think of a better one...**

Chores and More

Renji was fast asleep, half of his body on the couch, the other on the ground. Breakfast was being made by Keitaro and Hiroshi. The blankets covering the redhead were yanked off. He woke up.

"Huh?"

"Get up Renji!"

He rubbed his eyes and sat up, coming face to face with Kimiko. She had her hands balled up into fits, resting on her hips. The blanket was clutched in one of them.

"Er..."

"You slept in! It's already eight in the morning!"

"And that's late?!"

Kimiko sighed. "In this house it is. See, I have a theory."

"Oh...a theory now..."

She glared. "Like I was saying, I have a theory that if you wake up earlier, there's more time in a day."

"But wouldn't that be the same as staying up late in the night?"

"Notice how I said day."

_I don't really see a difference..._

"Anyway," began she. "Today is Saturday and we always do chores in the morning."

Renji groaned. "I hope you won't make me do all of the chores like Urahara-san...I never got cut any slack."

"Well, you won't get cut any slack here, but you won't get all the chores either. Sound fair?"

"Yeah."

"Ok then. First, fix the couch and put the blankets away in the hall closet." She tossed him the blanket. "Then when you're done you can have breakfast." She walked over to the kitchen.

Renji fixed the couch and put all the extras in the hall closet. He walked back over to the kitchen, and tied up his hair. He saw Kimiko writing something on the wall.

"You graffitti your own house?"

Kimiko raised an eyebrow. "What the...no..." She chortled. "This is the list of chores we each have. Look."

Renji looked at the chart and saw three chibi faces of Kimiko, Hiroshi, and Keitaro. He noticed that she drew in a fourth of Renji. "Is that supposed to be me?"

"You're the only one in this house with red hair. Anyway, this is our Chore Chart, which reminds everyone what chores they need to do on weekends."

She pointed to each one as she explained. "Keitaro gets to clean Usagi-chan's cage, water the plants, and do the laundry. Hiroshi cleans the floors and windows, the bedrooms, and takes out the trash. I cook, buy the groceries, and wash the dishes. Since you are now part of the family, you get chores too. You have to dust the furniture, sweep with the broom or mop, and scrub the bathroom."

"Why do I get all the sucky chores?"

"Because they shouldn't be a challenge to somebody who's a shinigami," she said with a sweet smile. Although, he knew it was fake.

"Fine..."

Kimiko wrote down the chores under the chibi face she made of Renji. She smiled at her drawings, even though they were only slightly better than Rukia's...

"Well, how about breakfast then? Hiroshi, Keitaro, is it ready?"

"Yes nee-chan," said Keitaro. He put the food on the table. "We made pancakes!"

"Yum! Well, come on Renji. Don't stand there all day." She sat down at the table, and Renji followed.

"So," said Hiroshi. "How many pancakes would you like Renji nii-san?"

"Um...I guess three."

"Alright." He served some to Renji. The redhead began to eat some of it. "Oh and don't worry about wanting more Mr. Moocher. We always have pancake batter here."

Renji almost choked on his food. "What?! Did that little brat Jinta tell you guys about that!?"

Hiroshi and Keitaro laughed. "Maaaaybe."

Kimiko giggled as she saw Renji back down. He didn't want to be considered a freeloader in somebody's else's home again.

"Oh, it's ok Renji," she said with compassion in her voice. "You won't be a bother to have here. Really. My brothers always play around like that. Urahara-san told me about you 'taking advantage' of their food."

"I wasn't...and it's not like I was gonna starve myself..."

Kimiko giggled again. "I know. Don't worry, I won't consider you to be a person who sponges off of people. As long as you protect my brothers and I from Hollows, and if you help around the house including finances at certain points, you're welcome to have as much food as you like."

"Well...ok..." He smiled. "It's a deal."

"Alright. Now eat up because we're not stopping with the chores until we get them all done!"

Renji groaned.

--

Orihime was busy making breakfast at her house. Matsumoto couldn't wait to see what she would cook up today, and Toushirou wished he were eating dirt instead...

"Matsumoto-san! Toushirou-kun! Breakfast is ready!" She set down the plates in front of them

"Oooh!" said Matsumoto. "Orihime-chan, what did you make today?"

"An omlete with spinach, rice, and syrup!"

Toushirou felt his stomach turn. "Is that even edible...?"

Matsumoto was already eating it. "Mm! It's so good! Taichou, you should try it!"

"Inoue..." said the little captain. "I have...er..."

"Oh it's ok Toushirou-kun. You don't have to eat it if you're not hungry. It's better to eat when you're starving instead of being forced."

The white haired child sighed with relief. "Anyway, I have been thinking..."

"About what taichou?"

"Kimiko's condition."

There was silence. "Toushirou-kun, I don't get what you're saying..."

"What I mean is that...why are Hollows suddenly attacking her? Yes she has strong spiritual pressure, but she's not the only one...there are others with the same spiritual capacity...it seems like a lot of people in this town have it..."

"What kind of actions do you suggest we take taichou? Renji is already watching over her. There's not much more we can do."

"Toushirou-kun...didn't you say you'd think about letting Kawasaki-san become a shinigami?"

"Yes...but...I'm still not sure...besides, I don't know how Kurosaki got his shinigami powers."

"Urahara-san helped him with that. Maybe...he can help Kawasaki-san too."

Toushirou just looked out the window. Sometimes he wished that all the decision making wasn't left up to him.

--

"These chores are even harder than the ones Urahara-san gave me...I have to make this place super clean..."

Renji and the other three had been doing chores for two hours. The twins were almost done and Kimiko had finished cleaning the dishes. She was now making sure the kitchen was nice and tiddy.

The redhead disliked mopping the floors...

"How often do you clean your whole house?"

Kimiko turned around. "At the beginning of every month. Why?"

Renji sighed with relief. "No reason."

The girl smiled. "You're really lazy aren't you Renji?"

"No I'm not!"

She only shook her head and began to clean the table with a wet cloth.

"Don't you get tired being in those short clothes all day Kimiko?"

"Hmm? Oh you mean this outfit?" She was wearing short shorts and a plain white tank top. "No. It helps me clean more efficently. No loose clothing to drag me down."

"But...it looks uncomfortable..."

"Why? Because they're so tight?"

"Yeah...kinda hugs your figure a little..."

Kimiko only blinked when he said that, and the redhead blushed. "Y-You know...not in that way...I mean..."

"I know. I guess you wouldn't expect a girl like me to wear something like this."

"No, I wouldn't expect Rukia to dress like that. She hates tight clothing. It doesn't look bad on you though."

The girl blushed and Renji realized he made another mistake. "N-Not in that sense! What I mean is...oh forget it..." He continued moping the floor, a light blush on his face.

Kimiko only smiled and continued cleaning.

"Nee-chan, I finished the laundry," said Keitaro.

"Ok, then fold it please while I finish up over here. Renji, could you help him please?"

"Sure." He put the mop and bucket away in the closet. Then he walked over to Keitaro and helped him fold the clothes. He noticed some small outfits.

"Um...whose are these Keitaro?"

"Oh those are nee-chan's."

"She wears this size!?"

"Yeah, you'd be surprised at how many people can't believe her frame is so thin! She's almost like Kuchiki-san! Except I've noticed that nee-chan is a lot taller than her..."

Renji smiled. "That's true. Still...I can't believe your sister would wear such small clothing..."

"Oh don't get me wrong Renji nii-san. She doesn't wear those provocative clothes like other girls I've seen. She just likes wearing clothes that fit her perfectly."

The redhead still wasn't convinced that a girl like Kimiko who had almost super strength and a bad attitude when she's angry, could wear such delicate looking clothes. He held up a shirt and looked at the girl, comparing them. Hiroshi came in and put in a new trash bag before washing his hands, and then walking up to his brother to help him with the laundry.

"What is Renji nii-san doing Keitaro?"

"I think he's trying to compare nee-chan's shirt size to her actual body."

"What the..."

Kimiko had finished cleaning the table and walked back to the sink, rinsing the cloth. Renji watched her, getting frustrated since she kept moving and it was hard for him to compare and contrast. He sighed and continued folding clothes, occasionally looking at her.

She sighed and walked over to the Chore Chart and looked up at it. She let her hair down, and it fell over her shoulders and down to almost the middle of her back. She looked pretty in this way, causing Renji to just focus on her instead of the laundry. She put her hands on her hips and continued looking at the chart, somewhat spacing out, a usual habit of hers. The redhead noticed how slender yet shapely she was and this only enhanced the thought by her wearing tight clothes. He blinked subconciously looking at her from head to toe. Kimiko put her hair back up into its normal state when she snapped out of a daze. "Well, I think the chores are done."

Renji continued to look at her. Hiroshi smiled. "Renji nii-san...what are you doing?"

He saw the shinigami blink again and shake his head, turning to the boy. "Nothing." He began to finish the last of the clothes.

Hiroshi gave a smile and raised an eyebrow. "You were checking out nee-chan weren't you?"

Renji blushed. "No I was not!"

"Looked like it to me," Keitaro said nochalantly. "You were eyeing her with interest Renji nii-san. Don't think that just because we're young that we don't catch on to things pretty quickly."

"Yeah. You were gazing at her up and down. I saw you." He poked Renji. "You can go out with her you know. Just don't hurt her feelings because then we'll hurt you."

"Hey! Hold on a minute! I haven't known your sister for very long! And there is a huge age difference, over one thousand years!"

"But here in the human world, you look like a high schooler, a teenager, so it's really no difference." Hiroshi shrugged.

"You two..."

"Hey, we're only saying that we're not stupid at noticing things like this. We can tell you think nee-chan is attractive."

"I never said that!"

"So you don't think she's hot?"

"Well no! I mean...yeah! Wait...stop asking me these questions!"

Keitaro and Hiroshi laughed. Renji sighed.

"Look, I'm not here to romance your sister. I'm here to protect you guys from Hollows. Besides, she has a bad temper when she's angry, so I wouldn't even wanna take her out in fear of making a mistake and getting punched in the face. To add, she has been a person I haven't known for a long time."

"And who is this she we're talking about Renji?" The redhead turned around to find Kimiko standing behind him, her hands on her hips.

"Uh...um..."

"Hey nee-chan!" said Keitaro. "Renji nii-san says you're attractive."

"What?"

"Yeah!" said Hiroshi. "He thinks you're hot!"

Kimiko blushed and looked at Renji, who also had a reddend face. He looked a little startled. "Renji...did you..."

"N-No I didn't! Your brothers are liars! I don't think you're attractive!"

Keitaro and Hiroshi laughed as they took the folded laundry to the proper rooms.

"Oh so you think I'm ugly then?" She sounded angry.

"No! Not that either! You're far from ugly!"

"So then you think I'm pretty?"

"No! I mean...just stop questioning me!"

Kimiko laughed. "You're so funny when you have no idea on what to say!" Renji glared.

"Nee-chan!" Keitaro said as he ran over to Kimiko. "All the chores are done! Can we go over to our friend's house? He's gonna go play soccer at the park."

"Ok. Just be back before dinner. Understood?"

"Yes! Thank you nee-chan!" He hugged his sister and she returned the embrace. Then he let go and went to his bedroom to tell Hiroshi.

"You give them that much freedom?" asked Renji.

"Yeah. Kids need to be given some space instead of being cooped up all the time. I trust Keitaro and Hiroshi very much. They have never betrayed me in that way and I'm thankful for that."

The twins ran out of the house and said "Bye nee-chan! Bye Renji nii-san!" Keitaro put on his shoes and ran outside. Hiroshi put on his shoes too and said "Renji nii-san, don't do anything to nee-chan that will cause a fist to be in your face."

"Hiroshi!"

The boy laughed at the shinigami's anger and ran outside to follow his brother. "Bye boys!" said Kimiko. She laughed.

"Hiroshi and Keitaro are only playing around Renji." She walked over to the couch and sat down. "Now let's see the weather forcast." She turned on the TV and the news came on. "Hmm...it's gonna be sunny today!"

Renji sat next to her. "I can see you and your brothers share a very close bond."

"We do. It's amazing actually. Most brothers and sisters would fight all the time."

"Even though it's just you three...you guys seem so happy..."

"We are." She looked at Renji with concern. "Something wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"I'm not gonna stop bugging you until you tell me."

Renji sighed. "It's just...I've never had a family...see...when one becomes a shinigami in Soul Society, they loose the memories of when they were human on earth...so all I remember is being an orphan in the rukongai."

"What's that?"

"It's where souls first go when they enter Soul Society. They're like towns that surrond the Seireitei, the area where the shinigami live. The rukongai is a dump and I hated it there...no family until I met Rukia and some other friends...but then...they died too, and then when Rukia and I went to the academy...we didn't really talk much when she was adopted into the Kuchiki family...But we started to get closer again when Ichigo and the other humans came to Soul Society to rescue Rukia."

"What happened?" She was very interested and Renji could tell.

"I'll leave that for another day." He smiled triumphantly.

"No fair! I want to know more!"

"Sorry Kimiko, but you're gonna have to wait."

"Fine." She crossed her arms. "Renji..."

"Yeah?"

"You do know that you're a part of this family...right?"

He stared at the wall. "Only if you'll allow me to be."

"Of course! Why wouldn't I? My brothers have already grown accustomed to you, and so have I!"

Renji smiled. "Thanks for that. It seemed like...the others who came here to the real world with us...all had human families, while I still didn't...Matsumoto and Hitsugaya-taichou have Orihime...Ikkaku and Yumichika have Keigo and his sister...and of course, Rukia has Ichigo's family...I felt...left out because I was the only one who didn't have a human family..."

Kimiko felt sympathetic. "Renji...I never thought...that somebody like you could feel that way...you're so sensitive..."

"You'd be surprised. You can't judge a book by its cover."

"Ain't that the truth. Just by looking at you, I thought you were some odd looking school athlete who wasn't very bright and thought he could push people around because of your size. But now I see...that you're not like that at all..." She smiled.

"You really thought I was some idiot powerhouse?"

Kimiko laughed which made Renji discouraged. "I'm just kidding! I didn't think of you that way. To be honest, I don't judge people until I get to know them well. So I thought of you as just another student with colorful hair. I also kinda thought you were Ichigo's cousin considering how the teachers keep saying you two were realatives."

"Well we're not. And you're a hard person to figure out Kimiko."

"You can call me Kim is you want. I don't mind anymore."

"Alright, Kim it is then."

She smiled and then noticed the tattos on his arms. "So did you get these tattoos at a parlor or something?"

"What? No...I already had them when I was younger. They seem to grow the stronger I get. For now though, they stopped at the end of my back, and personally, that's as far as I would want them to stretch..."

The girl laughed. "That's weird...um...may I see your tattoos Renji?"

"Huh?"

"I've always been fascinated with people's differences. And since you got your tattoos naturally, I wanna see the pattern!"

"Um...that is going to make me very uncomfortable..."

"Pleeeeease?" She clasped her hands together and looked at him. Renji sighed.

"Alright...fine..." He removed his muscle shirt and Kimiko looked at the strange tattoos that covered his torso.

"They kinda look like...some weird tire tracks..."

"Well gee...don't make fun of it..."

Kimiko placed her hand on his chest and traced one of the tattoos with her finger. The redhead blushed and felt his spine shiver. "They even feel like real tattoos..." She was intrigued by this new discovery and placed her hand on his arm, feeling the marks on him, and occasionally the muscles too.

Renji was very uncomfortable, and even more so when Kimiko looked at his face. She placed her right hand on his cheek and traced his eyebrows with her left finger. "So it starts from here then."

"Y-Yeah..." He wasn't used to having a girl this close to him. That's when Kimiko realized his discomfort. She blushed.

"I'm sorry Renji...I didn't know that...you were feeling uncomfortable..."

"That's alright. Really. I'm actually glad somebody is interested to get to know me." He removed her hands from his face and held them in his. "But I would also like to know you and your brothers more Kim. Maybe...even spending some time with...um...you..." His face flushed, and so did hers.

She smiled. "I'd like that." He smiled back.

"Hey Moocher!" The door swung open and inside came Jinta with Ururu. The boy noticed the scene. "Getting a little sensual, are we Renji?"

The redhead let go of the blushing girl's hands and glared at Jinta. "What do you want?! And it's rude to barge into somebody's house!"

"Well I think I did the right thing. Things might have gotten out of hand here."

Renji blushed and put the shirt back on. "I was only showing her my tattoos..."

"Yeah...I hope so...Anyway, the boss wants to see you both. He didn't tell me why though." He began to head out. "Be there in fifteen minutes." Both chidren left.

"Stupid brat...bossing me around..."

"Well, I guess we better get dressed." Kimiko got up from the couch and walked to her room. Renji got some of his clothes that Kisuke had brought to him yesterday.

--

Renji and Kimiko walked over to Urahara's shop. They arrived at the place fifteen minutes exactly. Both of them walked inside and found Jinta waiting for them.

"Finally you two showed up!"

Renji glared. "Oh be quiet."

"Ah!" said the man in clogs. "Abarai-san, Kawasaki-chan, welcome back!"

Kimiko smiled. "Hello Urahara-san."

"Is Abarai-san taking good care of you? I hope he's not being a rude jerk."

Renji huffed and Kimiko laughed. "No, he's been a good boy."

"That's nice to hear!"

Somebody came into the shop. Kimiko turned around and found herself in front of the tenth captain. "Oh, hello Toushirou-kun."

"Good day Kimiko. So, are you ready?"

"For what?"

Toushirou looked at Kisuke. "You didn't tell her?"

"I'd rather let you tell her Hitsugaya-taichou. I wanted it to be a surprise."

Toushirou looked back at the girl. "Well, after much thought consideration, I have come to a conclusion on how you can help your family."

Kimiko smiled in excitement. "Really? What is it?"

"You are to become a shinigami."

**Hoped you liked it. Also, I would like to get some ideas for the non-violent parts of this story, meaning that you the reviewer can give me some ideas on future chapters when they don't involve the shinigami fighting Hollows or anything like that. :)**


	7. Lessons To Be Learned

**Well well! I am very happy with your reviews! Even though there aren't that many, they have made me very pleased. :D I guess it's quality over quantity right? Not that I would mind getting a lot of reviews. Lol**

Lessons To Be Learned

Kimiko was speechless. Her eyes were welling up with tears. She looked like she was about to cry, but threw herself at Toushirou and embraced him.

"Thank you so much Toushirou-kun!" Her voice was breaking. "I love you!"

Toushirou blushed. "Um…yes…well…I realized that you are determined to do whatever it takes to protect your brothers, so I decided that…if you're so intent on becoming a shinigami, then why not let you become one?"

Kimiko only cried on his shoulder.

"Such a touching moment!" Kisuke commented as he sniffed. Renji only looked at him as he put his hands in the pockets of his pants.

"Excuse me Kimiko…but would you…please let go of me?"

The girl released her hold. "Sorry. I needed a shoulder to cry on." She wiped her tears with her sleeve. "And you're so warm to hug! Cute too!"

The captain looked away, hiding a blush. "Anyway, Urahara-san will be helping you in becoming a shinigami."

Kimiko walked up to the man in the hat. "Could you really do that Urahara-san?!"

He pulled out his fan, almost hiding his smile. "Of course my dear! I would love to help a pretty girl like yourself!"

"Oh thank you so much! So when can I start?"

"Well, since you still need to attend school Monday through Friday…how about Saturdays and Sundays?"

"That seems good. Um…but when exactly do I start? I mean…I now know the days…"

"How about right now? Do you need to attend to your brothers first?"

"They're with their friends at the park playing soccer. They should be home before dinner."

Kisuke slapped the fan against his palm, closing it shut. "Perfect! We'll bring them here afterwards! You'll most likely be training for a while."

"But who's gonna pick them up?"

The ex-captain looked at Renji and smiled. He blinked in response. "Don't tell me…you want…"

"Abarai-san! Could you please pick up Kawasaki-chan's brothers before dinner? Thanks!" He turned to Kimiko. "Now, please follow me."

Kimiko followed the man to the back of the shop. "So where is it?"

"You'll be surprised."

She looked around, but saw nothing. Kisuke tapped the floor with his cane and Kimiko fell down a trap door, screaming all the way.

Renji charged at him. "What are you doing?! She could get hurt!" He ran towards the door, and went in after her. Kisuke only smiled.

"Oops. I forgot the ladder." He walked towards the closet and put in the long ladder down the door.

--

Kimiko had been startled when she fell, and even though she had cat-like reflexes due to her martial arts, she wouldn't be able to survive that long of a drop. Fortunately, Renji caught her and landed on the ground, getting her to her feet.

"Thanks Renji." She smiled at him.

"It was nothing. That Urahara-san…dropping innocent girls into this hole…"

Kimiko giggled. "I'm glad he did. I expect this is part of your training?"

The redhead raised an eyebrow. "What?" He decided it was best not to tell her. "Uh…sure."

She gave in innocent smile. Kisuke came down, along with Yoruichi and Toushirou. Ririn, Cloud, and Nova were sitting on the cat woman's shoulders. Jinta, Ururu, and Tessai came down not much later.

"So this is where you trained Kurosaki and Abarai…" said the little captain. "Interesting place Urahara-san. Good terrain to practice with."

"I'm flattered Hitsugaya-taichou!"

"Yes well…let's not get a swelled head…" He turned to Kimiko. "So, are you prepared for your training?"

"Yup!"

Renji looked at her. "Are you sure? You're…wearing a skirt."

Kimiko had worn a yellow shirt with a burgundy light jacket, along with a matching skirt. "Well…it's not like I would of known this would happen!"

"That's quite alright Kawasaki-chan!" Kisuke said. "You won't have to jump much in this training. Mostly just running." He walked up to her. "So…are you prepared for what awaits you?"

"Yes, I am."

"Very well."

Kisuke jabbed his cane into Kimiko's abdomen and out came her soul. Her body collapsed on the ground, and her soul fell on her behind, the chain attaching to her body.

"What…what the heck happened?!" She looked at her body on the ground. "Is…is that me?!"

"Yes, it is. As of now Kawasaki-chan…you're nearly dead."

Her eyes widened. "D…Dead?"

"Yes. You see that chain there attached to your chest?"

Kimiko held the chain in both her hands. "Yes…what about it?"

"That is your soul chain, known as the Chain of Fate. It's attached to the body and keeps your soul in check. Your soul can return to it's body as long as the chain still connects to it. If the chain were ever to break…well…then you'd become a Hollow."

Her heart stopped. "I…I what?"

"Let me explain." He lifted a finger. "You see…this training is the exact same exercise I did with Kurosaki-san. You're just gonna have to endure everything he did."

Renji had heard of this from Ichigo. He was deeply worried about the part where Kimiko had to climb up the hole in a set number of hours.

"Urahara-san!" he yelled. "You can't be serious! What if she doesn't pass climbing up the--"

Kisuke looked at her. "Do you not have confidence in Kawasaki-chan?"

Renji looked at him. "Well…yes…but…"

"Then you have nothing to worry about. Now, ready for lesson one?"

Kimiko couldn't move. "I…I can't get up…and…it's hard to breathe…"

"Your soul can't move for a while after being out of the body. Also, you will have trouble getting air into your lungs. But don't worry. This can easily be solved. Just try to stand."

The girl struggled and stood up, wobbly at first, and tried to breathe in, but it was hard.

"Good. Ururu, if you will. You remember Kurosaki-san's training right?"

"Y-Yes." She stepped up to Kimiko and handed her headgear and gloves. "Please…wear this." The teen took the materials and applied them to herself.

"Ok, now what?"

"You're gonna have to fight Ururu."

"But…she's just a little girl…how am I supposed to fight her?"

"Don't take her lightly just because of her appearance. Trust me on this one Kawasaki-chan. All you need to do is knock her out before she knocks you out. In other words, don't let her hit you."

Kimiko nodded and prepared to fight. Ururu began to run to her. "Um…here I go…"

Renji and Toushirou watched with interest, as well as the Mod Souls. They had never seen this training before, and wanted to observe it.

Ururu threw a punch at Kimiko, but she barely dodged it. The ground crumbled where the little girl had given a blow.

"Holy crap!" said Renji. "Is she that strong?!"

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Kisuke said as he shouted to Kimiko. "A person's Chain of Fate is incredibly long, so don't worry about that getting in your way of moving."

Kimiko was slightly frightened that she might hurt her physical body, but she continued on anyway, dodging all of Ururu's punches. She was very great at martial arts, so the teen would occasionally back flip or jump off of boulders. She tried attacking Ururu, but always missed.

"Do you notice anything yet Kawasaki-chan?" shouted Kisuke.

"Just that this little girl is seriously strong!"

"It's good that you get to take a few seconds to take a breather huh?"

"Yeah!" The light bulb went on. "Hey...I…I can breathe a lot better now…"

Kisuke smiled.

Ururu sent a kick at Kimiko who didn't have enough time to dodge it, and blocked with her arms, protecting her face. She was thrown back to the wall like Ichigo had been.

"Oh…my back…" Ururu charged at her again, but Kimiko dodged, and managed to swipe a light punch at her arm. It bled slightly. Ururu looked shocked and charged up a punch that would most likely kill the girl. Urahara stopped her just in time.

"Great work Kawasaki-chan! You passed lesson one."

Kimiko sighed and took of the equipment. "What a relief…" She sat down on the floor.

"The point of this part was to regain your breathing and movement. While you ran, you got used to taking in air again, which was the main goal here. You also were able to raise your spiritual powers so you could become a shinigami more effectively."

Toushirou was mildly impressed, and Renji was just worried.

The girl understood this and nodded, but then jumped when her spirit chain was broken in half by Jinta slamming a large ax to cut it. "Eeek!"

"What are you doing you brat?!" yelled Renji. "She'll turn into a Hollow if you break that chain!"

"Huh?!" was the girl's reaction.

"Kawasaki-chan," the man in clogs began to explain. "If one's Chain of Fate is broken, then he or she is at a high risk of becoming a Hollow, as I have previously stated. Your soul can no longer return to its body once the chain has been severed. As of now, you are officially dead. So I suggest we hurry up with lesson two." Kimiko gulped.

"Now then," began Kisuke. "Tessai."

"Yes boss." The large man walked over to Kimiko.

"Um…ok." She looked at Kisuke. "So what next?"

"This my dear," said Kisuke as he walked over to her. "Is the hardest step to becoming a shinigami." He waited, and a hole opened beneath Kimiko. She fell down and landed on the ground.

"What…what do I have to do?" she asked as she sat up.

Kisuke looked down into the hole. Renji and the others walked over to it. They saw the girl down at the center of the pit.

Kimiko felt her arms tied up behind her. She turned her head and saw some kind of binds on her arms, with stakes jutting out of them. "What going on?!"

"I'm terribly sorry young miss," said Tessai. He had his hands in a weird formation, almost like he was using a spell. "But I must prevent you from using your arms and hands during this part of the lesson."

"Kawasaki-chan, you must climb up the Shattered Shaft," Kisuke said. "Before your Chain of Fate is devoured."

"What…what are you talking about?" She heard chomping noises and looked down at her severed chain. "What the hell are those?!"

"That is called Corrosion of the Chain. It begins to eat away at itself if the chain is broken. Once it gets to your chest, it'll create a hole, turning you into a Hollow. Oh and don't try to remove it yourself, otherwise it'll eat you too."

Kimiko was extremely frightened, and so was Renji.

"Urahara-san…" Toushirou began. "Is this your idea of training?!"

"It's the only way for her to become a shinigami here in the human world." He turned back his attention to Kimiko. "Now, normally, when this happens to a soul, it may take months, even years until they become Hollows. But down there where you are, it is filled with a special gas that increases the speed of the process. I made this gas even stronger, so unfortunately you have less time to climb up this hole than Kurosaki-san did and transform into a shinigami. He had seventy two hours…you my dear…"

Kimiko didn't want to know her time limit.

"Only have eight."

Renji was shocked, as well as Toushirou. That was way too little time.

"Urahara-san!" yelled the redhead. "You can't do this!"

"Course I can. Kawasaki-chan wanted to become a shinigami, so this is how she will reach her goal."

"But what if she doesn't make it?!"

"Abarai-san, if you believe she won't make it, then she won't. If you believe she can do this, then she shall." He turned to Kimiko.

"I suggest you start climbing now Kawasaki-chan."

"Wh-What happens if I don't get there in time?!"

"If it comes to that…then you'll become a Hollow and I'll have no choice but to kill you."

She felt like her heart had stopped. Well...if she still had one. "No…I can't die…I need to protect Hiroshi and Keitaro!" She began to run up the wall, coming half way and then falling back down.

Kisuke sat down next to the hole and watched her. The Mod Souls were very worried.

"Come on Kimiko-chan!" yelled Cloud. "You can do it!"

"Don't give up!" said Ririn.

"Your brothers are counting on you!" added Nova.

This gave the girl some encouragement, and she continued to try climbing up the wall.

_Come on Kim…you can do it…_thought Renji.

_You just have to…_

--

So far, six hours had passed and Kimiko was very close to climbing all the way to the top.

"The chain is almost gone…" she told herself. "Damn it! I need to make it!"

"Kawasaki-chan," said Kisuke. "The sixth hour has passed. You have only two more left."

"I know!"

She ran up the wall again and fell down. "Man!" Since the corrosion had begun, she was in a lot of pain, but Kimiko continued to run up the wall, no matter how much it hurt. When the corrosion stopped for a while, she tried even harder, which gave her more progress since some of the pain had passed, giving her an easier time.

She breathed heavily. "Keitaro…Hiroshi…" The girl collapsed on the ground. "I…I need to do this…"

"Kim!" shouted Renji. "Come on! You can do it!" He had to find some way of giving her confidence and willpower.

"Or…do you not want to hear the rest of my story?"

She sat up. "Yes! I do!"

"Then climb up, 'cause you're never gonna find out what happens if you don't reach the top of this hole."

Kimiko ran up again, and almost made it, but fell to the bottom. "I've…I've gotta keep trying!"

Kisuke turned to Renji. "Nice job Abarai-san. But isn't it time for you to bring her brothers home? It's almost dinner time."

"But…"

"Trust me. Maybe they'll be helpful to her."

Renji understood what he meant. "Alright, I'll go get them."

He left up the ladder and outside the shop.

--

Keitaro and Hiroshi were happily playing soccer with their friends.

"We're getting better at this!" said Keitaro.

"Yeah! Maybe we can even take on Kurosaki!" replied the other.

Renji came running to them. "Guys!"

"Oh, hey Renji nii-san!" said Keitaro happily. "Wanna play with us?"

"No…it's time for dinner…"

"Really?" Hiroshi checked his watch. "Dang! Seven hours we've been out here!"

"WHAT?!"

Both boys looked at Renji. "What's wrong?"

"Damn it! You guys have to come with me right now!" He grabbed their arms and pulled them away.

"Where are we going?!" Hiroshi said.

"Is this…is this about nee-chan?" asked Keitaro. Renji looked at them and nodded. The twins eye's widened.

"What's wrong with nee-chan?!"

"What happened to her?!"

"Just keep running!" Both children did as they were told and followed Renji all the way to Urahara's Shop. He led them inside down the ladder to the secret training area.

All three ran towards Kisuke and the others.

"Your sister is down there in that hole," Yoruichi said. "You can go look at her if you want."

The twins walked up to Kisuke and saw down below, Kimiko trying to climb up the wall.

"Urahara-san, what is nee-chan doing?"

"Well Keitaro, she's trying to become a shinigami. This is the process humans take. Right now, that is your sister's soul. Her body is over there somewhere."

"But…she looks like she's still in her body."

"That's because her soul resembles her body exactly, plus you can see her since you two have been in contact with a lot of spiritual activity."

Kimiko ran up the wall again and saw her brothers. "Keitaro?! Hiroshi?!"

"Nee-chan!" said Hiroshi. "Are you ok?!"

The girl almost reached the top, but slipped on a loose rock and fell all the way to the bottom. She got up slowly, and felt a great pain. Kimiko looked at the chain, and it had eaten itself completely, causing a hole to form in her chest.

"Oh no!"

The pain struck.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!!" She let out a high pitched scream.

Keitaro and Hiroshi were horrified. "Kimiko nee-chan!" They were about to jump in, but Renji and Toushirou held them back.

"Renji nii-san! Toushirou-san! What are you doing?!" yelled Hiroshi.

"You can't get in there!" the redhead explained. "Your sister is trying to become a shinigami!"

Keitaro looked down at the hole. "But she doesn't look like it to me! Her face is turning all white and a mask is forming!"

Renji and Toushirou held their breath. They looked down and saw a Hollow mask forming on Kimiko's face as she screamed in pain.

"Urahara-san!" the captain scolded. "What is the meaning of this?! Save her now!"

"You should know by now Hitsugaya-taichou that once a soul's Chain of Fate is severed, there is no way to reverse it. The fact that the Hollow mask is starting to grow on Kawasaki-chan's face means she's resisting to becoming a Hollow and still trying to become a shinigami."

He turned to the twins. "She's doing this for you guys you know."

The twins began to cry and yelled down into the pit.

"You don't have to do this for us!" shouted Hiroshi.

"Renji nii-san will protect us! You don't need to become a shinigami!" added the other.

"Not the kind of pleas she needs to hear right now boys." Kisuke looked at them. The twins tried a different approach.

"Nee-chan!" said Hiroshi. "You can do this!"

"We believe in you!" cried Keitaro. "Don't die! We need you!"

They broke out into tears. "We love you nee-chan!"

Kimiko screamed again as the Hollow mask almost finished forming.

_Inside her being…_

Kimiko sat up in a strange place she never saw. It was too misty to see anything clearly. "Where am I?"

"Hello there."

The girl turned around and saw a creature behind her, walking in her direction.

"You must be Kawasaki Kimiko. Am I correct?"

"Y-Yeah. Who are you?"

"A friend. And I will continue to be your friend if you pass this test Kimiko. Don't give up."

"What are you? You kinda look like…a…"

"Hurry. You only have a limited time before you become a Hollow. You can do it Kimiko. Think of your brothers, think of your new friends…"

The creature opened her eyes slowly.

"Think of Renji."

Kimiko had no idea who this was.

"How did you--"

"Go. Become a shinigami!"

"But how!?"

"Reach for one of my tails before the ground beneath us crumbles. This is your only chance to save yourself from turning into a Hollow."

Kimiko ran to the creature, jumping over cracks growing in the floor. She jumped on pieces that began to fall.

"Almost there!"

Her hand brushed the tip of the tail.

_Outside…_

A bright light began to form. Kisuke forced everyone to back away from the hole. Renji and Toushirou struggled to pull the twins away. A beam of white light blasted out of the pit.

"NEE-CHAN!!"

Clouds of dust floated in the air. A figure was silhouetted within it. The dust began to clear, and out appeared a white face.

"No…" said Toushirou.

"It…It can't be!" Renji said. "Kim!"

Keitaro and Hiroshi trembled as tears fell down their cheeks. "Nee-chan…she…she's…"

They clinged to their captors.

"She's a Hollow…"

**That took forever...I actually had to go back and read that part of the manga. Hope it wasn't too boring for you guys. The next chapters will be better now that this part is out of the way. And is she really a Hollow? Hmm...if she is, are they going to kill her? Well, you're just gonna have to find that out for yourself. :)**

**A huge thank you to animechick247 for giving me ideas for future chapters! I really appreciate it! :D**

**Oh and the trap door part was especially for Souzou the Insane. ;3**


	8. Bonding

**Ha ha! I was watching Bleach Episode 67 on Adult Swim on Saturday/Sunday. Lol Probably my favorite episode because of Renji and Ichigo. XD I laughed when the teacher said "Ichigo, if you and your brother want to argue step outside." Lmao XDDD And when Keigo was bombarding Renji with so many questions and he didn't have complete answers. Lol XDDD**

Bonding

Renji couldn't believe it. Kimiko had turned into a Hollow.

Toushirou closed his eyes and sighed. "There's no choice…but to kill her…" He let go of the twin and took out his Soul Candy dispenser.

"Wait." Kisuke put a hand in front of the little captain. "Look."

The dust began to clear away, and Kimiko stood still, a shinigami outfit on her body.

"But…" began Renji. "She…has a Hollow mask…"

The mask was white and it had red stripes on the side, making them look like whiskers. She had a fancy design going down the middle of the mask, stopping half way near the eyes. The mask seemed to have ears, almost like a mammal's. It was very elegant looking with the patterns on it. Her Hollow mask slightly resembled that of a fox.

Kimiko lifted a hand, and for a second the others thought she was going to attack them. But she punched her face, breaking half of the mask. She tore of the remaining part and threw it on the ground.

She breathed for air. "That…that was so hard to breathe through!" She noticed that she had a katana inside its sheath.

Kisuke walked proudly over to her. "Kawasaki-chan! You did it! I'm so proud!"

Kimiko took the sheath and jabbed Kisuke in the eye.

"My eye!"

The girl glared angrily at him. "You almost killed me! You're lucky I didn't die! No…you're unlucky because now I'm going to kick your ass Urahara Kisuke!"

He rubbed his eye. "Now now Kawasaki-chan…I'd rather you not kick my butt…"

"I deserve an explanation!"

Keitaro and Hiroshi ran to their sister. "Nee-chan!" They clinged to her and cried their hearts out. Kimiko embraced them for comfort.

"Nee-chan!" cried Keitaro. "We thought we'd never see you again!"

"Y-Yeah!" added Hiroshi. "And we thought you turned into a Hollow!"

"Sssh. It's ok. I'm here now." She ran her hand through their soft hair. They clutched her kimono tighter as they cried.

Cloud gave a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad that Kimiko-chan made it!"

"I know!" Ririn replied. "She had me worried there for a second…"

"Same here," Nova added.

Yoruichi looked at the siblings. _So that's how Ichigo got his Hollow mask…and now she has one too…this might not be good…_

Kisuke stood in front of Kimiko. "I apologize for putting you and your brothers through this. But it was the only way for you to become a shinigami Kawasaki-chan."

Kimiko patted her brothers on their heads and they sniffed, wiping their tears away with their sleeves. She kissed them both on the head.

"I understand Urahara-san. But I hope you know that now I want to train."

"Of course. But first, you must be hungry! Stuck in that hole for eight hours without eating can't be good for you! Unless you wanna turn anorexic then that's a different story."

Kimiko smiled. "I'd rather eat."

"Excellent!" Kisuke smiled as he took out his fan. "Jinta! Ururu! Prepare dinner, and make it tasty for Kawasaki-chan. Today is her first day of becoming a shinigami."

He began to walk towards the ladder. "Oh and if you want to return to your body Kawasaki-chan, just jump right in."

Kimiko walked over to her 'unconscious' self and stepped inside. She struggled to get back in, and when she did, she opened her eyes. "I'm back in my body." She stood up and brushed the dirt off her skirt.

Renji walked over to her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine Renji."

"Sure?"

Kimiko smiled. "Yeah." She walked towards the ladder, letting her brothers climb first.

"I can't wait until dinner."

--

Jinta and Ururu had prepared dinner for Kimiko and her brothers, along with everyone else. Toushirou was invited to join, which he gladly did since he didn't want to go back to Orihime's house and be surprised with one of her experiments.

The Mod Souls served the drinks. Nova walked over to Kimiko and asked "Would you like something to drink Kimiko?"

"Yes please. Um…juice if you don't mind. I'm not in the mood for tea."

"Ok."

Nova walked over to a cup and juice was poured into it by Ururu. He picked up the juice with both his hands and set it down in front of Kimiko. She smiled and grabbed him.

"Oh you're so adorable! I wish I could have you!" She cuddled him against her cheek and he blushed.

"Um…"

Kisuke smiled. "You can keep him if you want. He'll be my gift to you!"

Nova looked at him when Kimiko wasn't looking and shook his head slowly. He looked a little scared.

The girl put the turtle plushie on her shoulder. The food was served. "Yum!"

Everyone began to eat the food. Toushirou was relieved that this was actually edible.

--

After dinner, Kimiko asked Kisuke "So do I resume my training?"

"Hmm? Oh you can start tomorrow Kawasaki-chan. I'm sure your brothers would like to have some quality time with you after what they witnessed."

"So I can go back home?"

"Yup."

She smiled and grabbed Nova, who was still nervous. She placed him on her shoulder again since she didn't have pockets.

Renji looked at her. "Kim…"

"Yes?"

"Nothing…"

She grabbed her brother's hands. "Thank you for everything Urahara-san."

"No problem Kawasaki-chan."

Renji walked out of the shop with Kimiko. Her brothers began to get tired, so she carried Keitaro on her back, and Renji carried Hiroshi.

"Can I ask you something Kim?"

"Sure Renji. What is it?"

"How did you turn into a shinigami if you were already transforming into a Hollow?"

Kimiko thought about his question and tried to remember.

"Well…there was this…animal…but I don't know what it was exactly. The place where I went was full of mist…so it was hard to distinguish it…but I'm pretty sure it was a mammal… and it had a lot of tails…I think it was female…"

"What kind of animal is that? There's no animal that has more than one tail. Well, not that I know of anyway."

"Maybe I'll find out tomorrow when Urahara-san trains me."

"I hope so."

They reached her apartment and she took out a key from under the doormat. She put it in the lock, and turned the knob with her hand, careful not to drop Keitaro.

Renji helped her put her brothers to sleep in their rooms. She kissed them both on the head and closed the door.

"Well…I guess I better make my bed then," said the redhead.

"Ok. I'll just go into my room and sleep. I'm really tired…"

She began to walk to her door, when Renji said "Kim…are you sure you're alright?'

"Yes. Don't worry Renji. Good night."

"Night."

She opened the door and then closed it behind her. Renji couldn't figure out how she got a Hollow mask, and he wondered if that was a bad thing.

"Wait…Rukia told me about Ichigo's mask…and…if he was also trained under Urahara-san…then that means Kimiko got her mask because of that training…and if he had problems controlling his Hollow at first…then that means…that she might too…"

Renji had a hard time sleeping that night.

--

Morning had dawned and Kimiko rolled on her bed. She had never been this tired, but it was probably due to the training.

Keitaro and Hiroshi however, began breakfast, thanks to Nova's help.

"Nova, you're really helpful for a stuffed turtle!" said Keitaro.

"Yeah and you're strong to pick up things like plates and cups considering how small and soft you are," Hiroshi said.

"An ant can carry more than it's weight. I guess it also applies here," Nova said as he gave some ingredients to the twins. The boys just smiled.

Renji woke up with a yawn, and noticed the two boys making breakfast. He got up and fixed the couch, then walked over to them. "Hey, where's Kim?"

"Nee-chan is still asleep," said Hiroshi. "So we're making breakfast. Nova is helping."

"I see." He glanced at her door. "She must be tired after what she's been through…"

"Well…the breakfast is almost ready." Keitaro turned to Nova. "Can you please wake up nee-chan?"

"Ok."

He hopped down to the floor and walked towards her door. But Hiroshi had to open the door for him since Nova couldn't reach that high.

The turtle plushie walked over to the bed and clung to the sheets as he attempted to get on top. Once he successfully reached the top, he walked over to Kimiko and shook her shoulder.

"Kimiko."

She groaned and opened her eyes. "Huh?" She saw Nova in her face. "Nova?"

"Breakfast is almost ready."

She sat up, Nova slipping off and falling, but she caught him in time and clutched him in her hand. She yawned. "Man am I hungry!"

"Please let go…I can't breathe…"

"Oops. Sorry Nova."

--

Kimiko walked into the kitchen and placed Nova on the table. She sat herself down and ate some of the food.

"Nee-chan…are you ok?"

"Hmm? Oh yes. Why do you ask Hiroshi?"

"Because you were like half Hollow and half shinigami…"

"Well I'm pretty sure it's part of the training." She looked at Renji. "Right Renji?"

He looked at his food and played with it. "Actually Kim…it's not…"

"Huh?"

"You becoming a Hollow…that's not normal for shinigami…"

"It's…it's not?"

Renji shook his head and placed more food into his mouth. "No, it's not. Ichigo is like you. He trained under Urahara-san and got his half Hollow ego, just like you. So…I guess humans who want to become shinigami just have that defect. Well…I guess it's not a defect since it _can_ make you stronger than a regular shinigami…but it's hard to control your inner Hollow the first few times…"

Kimiko didn't feel enthusiastic anymore. "Then…does that mean…"

"No, you won't turn into a Hollow if you have proper training. But it won't be easy. There are actually more people like you and Ichigo. They're called Vizards."

"Where can I find them?"

"How should I know? I've never really met them. Ichigo has, but they probably don't even know you exist."

"Well I want to control my inner Hollow now!"

"Hold on Kim! First you need to learn how to use your zanpaktou! Have you learned it's name?"

"They have names?!"

Renji put his forehead in his hand as his elbow rested on the table.

"Let's just take you to Urahara-san right now…"

--

Kimiko, her brothers, and Renji walked to Urahara's shop. The girl had put Nova in her purse and he had the top half of his body looking outside.

Kisuke was outside, watching Jinta and Ururu play softball.

"Urahara-san!"

The man looked at Kimiko and beamed. "Well if it isn't the lovely Kawasaki-chan! Are you here for some more training?"

"Yes. But I have a lot of questions…"

"Good. And I probably have answers. Anyway, what are your brothers going to do?"

"Um…I haven't really thought about it…"

Kisuke put a finger to his chin. "Oh I know! Abarai-san, take Kawasaki-chan's brothers to the park or something!"

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm sure they'd get bored watching her train." He shooed them away with his hand. "So go bond somewhere."

Renji looked at him and grumbled. "Come on guys."

"Bye nee-chan! We'll see you later!"

"Ok, by Hiroshi! By Keitaro!"

She watched them leave into the city, and she walked inside the shop. She placed her purse on the table, in which Nova got out to greet Ririn and Cloud.

"Ok! I'm ready for my training!"

"Follow me then."

Kimiko followed Kisuke back down to the training room. He jabbed her again with his cane and she came out of her body as it slumped to the floor.

"Ok," said Kisuke. "First thing's first. What is the name of your zanpaktou?"

Kimiko took out her sword and saw that it was plain, with the exception of the hilt and guard. The threads of the hilt were maroon, and the guard was a circle, with wavy lines extending out of it, curving towards the right. She stared at it, and put it away.

"Um…I don't know…"

"Then reach deep into your mind and think…"

Kimiko closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. She saw that creature again.

"Do you trust me Kimiko?"

"I don't know…"

"You'll only know my name if you trust me…so…do you?"

"Yes…I do."

"Very well." The animal closed her glowing eyes. "My name is…" She opened them.

Kisuke watched as Kimiko concentrated. He saw her open her eyes and watched as she placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, drawing it from the sheath.

"Hunt in stealth…Kyuubi."

The blade began to change and curved in waves, the end being a sharp point. The end of the hilt grew a stream of soft white fur. Kimiko stared at her new sword, astounded by it's appearance.

"So," said Kisuke. "Your zanpaktou is named Kyuubi. What's the gender?"

"It's…female."

"Well, lesson three is complete. Now that you know the name of your sword, remember her name, and don't forget it. Next, you must learn how she attacks."

"Don't you just swing it?"

"Yes…but some swords have special ways of attacking. Like Abarai-san's. Zabimaru extends and then retracts. Kurosaki-san's sends a wave of white energy. Hitsugaya-taichou's freezes the opponent. Now what does yours do?"

Kimiko looked at her sword. "Well…I don't know…"

"Try something."

The girl swung her sword and nothing happened. So, she tried a different approach, aiming for the giant cliff. She swung the sword as she swerved to the side, and put all of her heart into it, hoping something would happen.

She saw a faint wave of energy, almost invisible, and it was in the same shape as her blade. It went by so fast, as fast as a blink.

Nothing happened.

Kimiko sighed. "Oh…I guess--"

The entire mass of earth was sliced clean off from the bottom, toppling over boulders. A small plateau was all that's left.

"Woah! Did I do that?!"

"You and Kyuubi did that. I suppose that's her ability. It was difficult to see that wave."

"This is great!"

Kisuke smiled. "Now then." He drew his own zanpaktou. "Let's train."

--

Renji had been trying to bond with the twins, but it seemed more like interrogating with all the questions he had been asking.

"Renji nii-san…" said Hiroshi. "Stop asking us questions!"

"Yeah, let's just play soccer instead!" Keitaro said.

"Well I want to get to know you more!"

"You do that gradually not all at once! Sheesh!"

Hiroshi picked up the soccer ball and began playing with his brother. Renji sighed and walked over to them. "So…er…how do you play soccer?"

"You need to hit it in those goals over there." Hiroshi pointed to the nets. "Usually there's somebody blocking those goals to prevent the opposite team from scoring."

"Yeah." Keitaro said. "Also, you can't use your hands to pick up the ball. Only your feet and legs. You can also hit the ball with your head if you're talented enough."

"It sounds hard…"

Keitaro laughed. "Everything is hard at first Renji nii-san. Like nee-chan's training. So let's play!"

He kicked the ball to Renji who stared at it. "Um…"

Hiroshi sighed and looked at his twin. "We're gonna need to have some practice sessions…"

"Yup…no doubt about it."

They watched as Renji attempted to hit the ball with his head, only having himself end up slipping on the grass.

The twins sighed.

--

Hours had passed and Kimiko was exhausted. She had been training hard, and using her sword to it's full potential. Man was she oblivious. She didn't even know about bankai.

The girl had found out that she could change the way the sword sliced. Since the fox sword had nine tails, that meant it could cut nine different ways. So far she only knew how to cut two ways: the regular way which was the one she used first, and another way in which she could change the shape of the slice.

"Well I think that's enough training for one day Kawasaki-chan," said Kisuke.

Kimiko allowed her sword to return to normal and she put it back inside the sheath.

"Urahara-san…"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you some questions?"

"Sure."

They sat down on a boulder.

"Why am I half Hollow?"

Kisuke looked up. "Well…that's the side affect unfortunately for my training…but it's not necessarily a bad thing. If you can learn how to control your inner Hollow, then you'll be even stronger than a Captain if you have a lot of experience and training."

"How do I control it?"

"That is for another day."

Kimiko sighed. "Ok…so then…what are Nova, Ririn, and Cloud? I have been wanting to ask that question for a long time."

"They're Mod Souls, which are souls I created myself. They each have a special attribute. Nova has teleportation, Ririn has illusions, and Cloud has transformation. Each Mod Soul has one special ability. So…they were originally used for putting them into corpses to serve as helpers for the shinigami to fight Hollows. But that plan eventually failed and was banned. So they were destroyed. One survived, and he lives with Ichigo. You'll see him sooner or later. Nova, Ririn, and Cloud are new Mod Souls I created myself."

The light bulb turned on. "Speaking of Mod Souls, I need to make you one Kawasaki-chan!"

"Really?"

"Yeah. Ichigo has his own, so now I need to make one for you!"

"Um…ok…"

Jinta came down stairs. "Boss, Renji and Kimiko's brothers are back."

"Excellent! Well, get back inside your body Kawasaki-chan."

Kimiko walked over to her body and hopped inside. She stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes, following Kisuke and Jinta up to the main floor.

--

Renji and the twins were waiting for them at the table.

"Hi nee-chan!" said the two boys in sync.

"Hey guys. How was your day?"

"We were teaching Renji nii-san how to play soccer."

"But as you can see…he didn't do very well."

Kimiko looked over at Renji who was full of dirt and grass, his hair in a mess.

She laughed. "What happened to _you_?"

"I don't want to talk about it!" He crossed his arms and turned around.

Hiroshi decided to talk for him. "First he kept slipping on the grass."

"Then he kicked the ball too hard and it bounced off into the street," added Keitaro.

"After that, he had to dodge traffic to get it."

"Then go back to the park and try again, but he got frustrated."

"So he used his shinigami skills and whacked the soccer ball with a stick, sending it flying."

"He got even angrier when we told him that you'd loose if it went out of bounds."

"So then he transformed into a shinigami and went after the ball, only to find that it was in front of a Hollow."

"Which he destroyed by the way. Then he got the ball and tried to hit it with his sword, which was stupid since that popped it."

"Renji nii-san was fed up with the game so he went back to his body, only to find it lazing around in the dirt. I think he ate one of those pills that Toushirou-san had."

"Yeah, so his body was acting weird. He's even lazier than the real Renji nii-san."

"So the real one went back inside his body and out came the pill from his mouth. It was really funny."

The twins chuckled. "And then we went to go get fast food, so Renji--"

"She doesn't need to know about that!" shouted Renji.

Keitaro and Hiroshi laughed.

"Anyway nee-chan, we brought you some food."

They placed a bag on the table and she began to eat it. "Thanks guys!"

"So how did your training go Kim?" asked Renji.

"Oh it was good," she said as she ate some fries. "My zanpaktou is a female and her name is Kyuubi…so I'm guessing she's a fox with nine tails."

"Well that _is_ what her name means…"

"And she's so cool! I swing the sword, and an invisible wave comes out and slices clean across anything! And I can also change the way the sword cuts! I'll show you one day Renji!"

"So your Hollow hasn't acted up yet?"

"No…but Urahara-san said it will soon…"

"I see…"

--

After saying their good byes to Kisuke and the rest, Kimiko and her family walked back to the apartment, Nova in her purse.

They got home and she ordered her brothers to go to bed since school started tomorrow.

"So Renji, seems like you had a fun day."

"Yeah right…"

Kimiko giggled. "Well, hopefully things will get better. For us both."

"Me too."

She was already dressed in her pajamas and left the living room for Renji to change. She took Nova in her hands and placed him on her bed. She laid on her stomach and looked at the turtle.

"Um…"

"So how do you like being a Mod Soul?"

"I suppose it's alright. I mean, I'm glad that I'm alive."

"Is it true that you can teleport?"

"Yes."

"Can Mod Souls die?"

Nova wasn't used to being asked all these questions. "Well…only if our actual being is harmed, which in this case is the pill. But since I'm inside this body, I can't die, not even in my gigai."

Kimiko gasped. "You have a gigai!?"

"Yes, but it's at Urahara-san's shop."

"When can I see it?"

"Maybe tomorrow I suppose. But I'll need to go back there first."

"Oh ok. Then I'll take you to school with me!"

Nova looked concerned. "Can you take plush toys to school?"

"Yes. It's not like it's a weapon. Well…I guess in this case it is but nobody needs to know that."

Silence.

"Ok, time for bed! Wait, I need to say goodnight to Renji. Stay here Nova."

She walked out of the room and to the living room. Renji had finished dressing and was almost done with his bed.

The girl got a wet cloth and walked over to Renji. She sat down on the couch.

"You do know I'm sleeping here right?"

Kimiko laughed. "Yes. Man, you're grumpy today."

"And you're giddy. That's not normal for us both…"

The girl smiled and patted the seat next to her, which was a gesture for him to sit down.

She placed the wet cloth on his face.

"What are you doing?"

"Cleaning your face. It's very dirty."

"Don't do that…"

"Why?"

"It feels weird…"

"Whenever Keitaro and Hiroshi have their faces dirty, I always help them clean it."

"Well…don't do that to me…"

"How come?"

He stood quiet. Kimiko looked at him and said "Is it because you've never had a mother before?"

"I probably did…but I don't remember her…"

"Well…our mom would clean our faces when they were dirty…and bandage our cuts too…I guess I'm just trying to be a mother to my brothers…sorry if you don't like it…"

"No…it's…it's ok…really."

"Alright." She continued to clean his face. He had never had anybody care for him like this.

"There. But you'll still need to take a shower in the morning. Tomorrow is school." She put the cloth in the sink. "Good night Renji."

"Night." He settled himself down on the couch and was surprised again when Kimiko kissed him on the forehead.

She only smiled at him and walked back to the room.

"Ok Nova! You're sleeping with me tonight along with my other plushies!"

"Um…" Sleeping with a girl wasn't exactly something he was used to…

Renji smiled as he looked at the ceiling again. Having Kimiko around made him feel comfortable, and sometimes he'd feel like a little kid when she'd take care of him. But now that she got her shinigami powers…how was he supposed to repay her kindness?

She was now able to defend herself from Hollows…so what did that leave him with? He could probably still stay since she was inexperienced even though she had trained.

"If I could…" he said to himself as he closed his eyes. "I'd want to stay here as long as possible."

Going back to Soul Society hadn't even crossed his mind ever since he got here.

**Well, I'm glad that chapter is out of the way. To be honest, I didn't want to write it and wanted to skip it, but I decided that I should just post it anyways. Yeah Kimiko's zanpaktou is called Kyuubi and most of you have probably heard that name from the anime Naruto. I wanted to give her a fox like sword, so that's why I named the katana Kyuubi. Her abilities will be revealed later. :D**


	9. New Student

**Is it just me, or does Renji look even hotter in normal human clothes? Lol XDDD**

New Student

Kimiko and Renji got up early the next day. It was a Monday, which meant school, so the girl also had to wake up her brothers.

After dropping off her siblings at school, Kimiko walked with Renji to Karakura High.

"Well…another day of school…" groaned Renji.

"Why do you hate it so much?"

"I got out of school years ago…and now I actually have to go back…"

"Well yeah. I mean, you _are_ in the human world now, so you need to learn about this world's education."

"But am I really going to need it?"

"A lot of people ask that question, sometimes even me. But you're gonna have to pass the exams and get decent grades if you wish to graduate."

The redhead rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yeah alright…"

"You _are_ going to graduate right? Because I am _not_ going to support somebody who didn't pass high school, I'll tell you that right now."

Renji smiled. "Yeah don't worry. I'll pass high school. Although, you don't have to support me Kim. I can do that myself."

"How? You haven't worked at Urahara-san's shop in a while."

"Well…er…"

"Tell you what…the days I'm at my karate class, you go to Urahara-san's shop to work."

"But then who's gonna take care of your brothers?"

"Keitaro and Hiroshi know that if I don't pick them up, they go to my karate class. And if I'm not there, then they go home. I have everything under control Renji, don't worry."

"Well if you say so Kim…"

The two had reached the school and they met up with Ichigo and the others.

"Hey Renji."

"Hey Ichigo."

Toushirou had his arms crossed as always. "Well, I see that you two have finally arrived. I suggest we get to class before our teacher marks us tardy."

Kimiko smiled and hugged Toushirou. "Oh, you're so cute!"

The white haired boy blushed. "Please…let go of me…"

Matsumoto squealed. "Isn't he adorable Kimiko-chan?!" She too hugged the little captain.

"Ichigooooo!" Keigo yelled as he ran to his friend and almost tackled him before a fist connected with his face.

"Good morning to you too Keigo…"

"Ow! My face!" The boy rubbed his nose. He blinked when he saw the two girls hugging Toushirou affectionately.

"Man! How does he do it?! Girls love that little guy!"

"Excuse me?!" snapped Toushirou. "I am NOT little!" He was going to teach Keigo a lesson, but Kimiko and Matsumoto wouldn't let go of him.

"Keigo, don't ever call him little," Renji said. "He doesn't like it. And don't call him a kid or child either."

"Well what's wrong with being small?"

"Would you two _please_ let go of me?!" Toushirou commanded.

"Oh…but you're so nice to hug!" whined Kimiko. Matsumoto agreed with her.

"Come on guys…" said Ichigo. "We don't want to be late."

--

"And as you can see, when you take the square root of a negative number, it is impossible to do so because negative numbers do not have square roots," said the teacher. "So that means that you'll have an imaginary number…"

Renji zoned out his teacher's lecture with his own thoughts. Well, at least _he_ thought he was thinking.

"What the hell…imaginary numbers? It doesn't seem like math is that impressive anymore…it's like they keep making up new stuff to make it sound important…"

"Abarai-kun," said the teacher. "Do you have something you want to share with the class?"

Renji blinked and noticed that all attention was focused on him.

"Huh?"

"I said, do you have something to share with the class?"

"Oh…no sensei…"

"Then keep your mouth shut and pay attention." The teacher turned back to the board and mumbled under his breath.

"Stupid redheaded teenager…gets tattoos at a young age…and now he thinks he can mock math…"

Unfortunately for him, Renji heard. "What was that?!"

"Quiet Abarai-kun! I am trying to teach!"

"Well you're not doing a very good job at it! And teachers shouldn't say things like that about their students! I heard what you said you bastard!"

"Oooooh," said the students in sync. The teacher leered at Renji.

"Abarai Renji, you need to watch your mouth while in my class."

"And you need to watch yours too you damn geezer!"

The teacher growled. He didn't like being called old. "At least I didn't have tattoos all over my body and obnoxious colorful hair at your age!"

Renji glared. He had never been this ticked off in his entire life. Kimiko knew that he was going into a rage.

"Why you…" Renji got up from his desk and was about to charge at the teacher, who looked a little scared by the way, but Kimiko stood up and went after him.

"No Renji! Stop!" She wrapped her arms around his torso in an instant. This caught him off guard as well as the rest of class. He felt a blush grow up his face because of the close physical contact.

She whispered to him. "I don't know how your school was back at Soul Society, but you can't hurt a teacher! You'll get suspended, maybe even expelled! Please Renji…calm down…"

Renji looked at the teacher and Kimiko could tell he was still angry.

"Look…I know you're upset…but students don't attack teachers. We don't get many rights in our eyes…please Renji…" She rested her head on his back.

The redhead calmed down and sighed. "Alright…" He turned around and held Kimiko by the shoulders gently. "But I'll only stop because I need to finish high school…for you…nothing more…"

Kimiko smiled. "Thanks Renji." He smiled too and sat back down at his desk. The students were awed by what just happened.

"Thank you Kawasaki-kun," said the teacher.

"Sorry about that sensei," said the girl as she bowed. "Renji just wasn't thinking straight."

"You don't have to tell me twice. That guy is like a monkey or some other dumb animal."

Kimiko didn't like how he was talking about Renji. She could see from the corner of her eye that her friend was firing up again.

"Don't talk about Renji like that sensei. He's very bright and a lot greater than you think. He has hidden talents that most people don't know about."

"Your romantic life with Abarai-kun does not interest me Kawasaki-kun," said the teacher nonchalantly as he turned back to the board.

Kimiko blushed and said "I don't have that kind of relationship with him!"

"Yes yes. Now please sit down."

The girl walked back to her desk and continued to pay attention.

Renji made a mental note to thank her later.

--

The bell rang and the students rushed to lunch. Ichigo and Rukia walked to the lunchroom when Keigo bumped into them.

"Ichigo!"

"What was that for Keigo?!"

"Did you hear? Renji almost attacked a teacher."

The orange haired teen and Rukia looked at him bewildered. "What?"

"Apparently the teacher said something offensive and then Renji got angry. But Kimiko-chan stopped him and defended him, so everything went well."

Rukia smiled. "Well, at least she can keep him out of trouble while I handle this one." She pointed her thumb at Ichigo.

"You make it sound like I'm an animal or something…"

The girl only smiled. "Now what would give you that impression?"

"Anyway, we better meet up with the others."

"Yeah."

The two began walking away to find their friends, while Keigo tagged along with them.

Eventually, Toushirou and the others were found outside during the lunch period.

"Kurosaki," he said. "There you are."

"Hey Toushirou."

"It's Hitsugaya-taichou…"

He was ignored.

"So I heard you almost got in trouble Renji," Ichigo said to him. "May I ask why?"

"Stupid teacher…thinks just because he's in authority he can call us whatever he wants…that bastard…"

"Well yeah that's kinda what he _can_ do. Teachers can't be attacked by students, but they can't hurt their students either."

"Tell that to our math teacher…imaginary numbers…what is this world coming to?"

Ichigo only raised and eyebrow and Rukia merely blinked, as did the rest of them.

Kimiko wanted to talk. "Anyway, I'm gonna go get a juice. Anybody wanna come?"

"No I already got mine with Ichigo," said Rukia. "We were coming over here so we decided to get one on the way."

"Alright."

The girl began to walk towards a beverage machine that was brand new in their school. Renji followed.

"He's getting attached to her really quick," Matsumoto commented. "There's never a moment they're not together."

"Let's just hope it doesn't get deeper," Ikaku said. "I don't wanna think about what would happen if they became more than friends."

"Why is that?" Yumichika asked.

"What would happen if by chance, Renji and Kimiko got so attached to each other that their friendship became more? I'll tell you what. They'll probably end up together."

"And what's wrong with that?" Matsumoto said putting her hands on her hips. "I think that would be cute."

"Not if Soul Society contacts us and makes it so that we have to return to our world."

Nobody said anything.

"I've never seen this side of you Ikaku."

"He's just saying that because he can't find a girlfriend so he's speaking in a depressing manner," Yumichika said. "That Asano girl makes a fool out of him."

"But I can't do anything because she's a girl and she puts a roof over our heads and food on the table…" Ikaku said with a sigh.

Toushirou said nothing because he didn't want to talk about these kinds of things. He merely just watched Kimiko and Renji from a distance, as the girls went to join their female classmates and as he stood with the boys.

"How do you use these machines?" asked the redhead.

"Oh, well you put money in and then select the juice you want." She took out her wallet.

"No Kim."

"Huh?"

"Here." He gave her some money from her pocket. "Use this."

"But I have my own."

"Yeah but I wanna repay you for defending me back there in class."

She looked at him and blinked. "Really? I didn't do anything though…"

"Just take it…"

"Oh…ok." She took the money from his hand and demonstrated. "Well, here's how it's done. First you put in the money, and then select the drink you want with these buttons." She put the cash in and then selected her drink with the buttons. Two cans of juice came out.

"Here you go Renji." She handed one to him.

"Thanks Kim."

She smiled at him. "You're welcome." There was a brief pause. "So I guess we should probably head back to the others now."

"Yeah."

The girl stopped and turned to see a small group of girls around another one.

"So what's your name?" asked one.

"Um…m-my name is…Kikyou…"

"Interesting name there," said another. This was probably their leader. "And just what were you doing talking to Akio?"

"Who?"

"The most awesome guy in the whole school! The one you were talking to in the hallway!"

"W-Well I was asking f-for directions to my class…"

"Yeah but you don't just go up to a guy like him! Who do you think you are?!"

"What are you doing?"

The girls turned around to see Kimiko standing behind them, Renji right next to her.

"Kimiko."

"Ami."

"What do you want?"

"I want to know why you're harassing this girl."

"She was talking to Aiko!"

"And that's bad because…?" She made twirling motion with her hand as if to tell her to continue.

"Oh shut up! You don't know anything about Aiko!"

"Yeah I do. He's just another guy in this school. What's so great about him?"

There was a group gasp.

"He is smart, cute, and popular!"

"So? There are a lot of other attractive guys here. Does half the female population in this school revolve around him or what?"

The glares she was getting told her the answer. "Pathetic. Simply pathetic."

"Well what do you know anyway Kawasaki?! You'll never understand!"

"Of course I won't because I'm not an airhead like you."

"How dare you!"

"Now leave that girl alone." She walked up to Kikyou who was hiding her face with her bookbag. Kimiko held out her hand. "Come on. You can sit with us." She gave a warm smile.

The girl shakily extended her hand and held onto Kimiko's. The two walked over to Renji who looked at the girl.

"Hey!" said Ami. "I wasn't finished!"

Kimiko walked up to her and showed the girl her juice can. She merely blinked but then screeched when Kimiko poured the remaining juice on the girl's head.

"Ah! My hair!"

"Now stop messing with the new kids." She walked over to Renji, and the three left as Ami and her subordinates ran to the restroom.

"Thank you so much back there," said Kikyou. "My name is Kanbara Kikyou."

"It was nothing. Ami is the most popular girl in school because of her looks and charm, so she gets jealous when she sees somebody talking to a guy she likes. Stupid really. Oh and by the way, I'm Kawasaki Kimiko, and this is my friend Abarai Renji."

"Hey there," said Renji to Kikyou. The girl blushed and shyly said "Hello…"

"So what grade are you in Kikyou?"

"Um…I'm new and I'm a first year in this high school…"

"Oh so you're a grade lower. I'm a second year. Why did you start so late? School began last week."

"Well…you see…I had moved to America when I was ten…and then back to Japan barely three months ago. I was afraid to go to high school because I didn't have any friends…"

"I'm sure you'll make many friends Kikyou."

"Well Kim," said Renji. "I'll catch you later. I'm gonna go hang out with Ichigo and the guys."

"Alright Renji."

He walked away towards Ichigo.

"Um…" began Kikyou.

"Yes?"

"That Renji guy…"

"What about him?"

"He's really…um…" She blushed. "He's really good looking…"

Kimiko smiled and let out a small giggle. "I guess. There aren't too many guys with red hair and tattoos all over his body."

"He has tattoos?"

"Yeah. He showed them to me and they look kinda weird…but I guess that's how he wants them to look."

"You and Renji seem really close."

"Well to be honest, I barely met him last week. We're friends though. I've never had that many…"

"Why?"

Kimiko stood quiet. "I'll…I mean…I don't want to talk about it."

"Ok."

"Hey Kimiko," said Tatsuki. "Saw what you did to Ami back there."

Kimiko chuckled and said "She was asking for it."

Tatsuki walked up to Kikyou. "Are you ok?"

"Oh yes. Kawasaki-san helped me out."

"Please," said Kimiko. "Call me Kim."

"Can I call you Kimiko?"

"Sure."

"Well," said Tatsuki. "My name is Arisawa Tatsuki. And these are our friends."

Each of the girls introduced themselves.

"Hello!" said Orihime. "I'm Inoue Orihime!"

"I'm Kuchiki Rukia," said the raven haired girl.

"My name is Matsumoto Rangiku!" said the woman. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Oh and I'm Chizuru!" The redhead eyed Kikyou. "You're so cute!"

"Um…thank you?"

"Don't mind her," Tatsuki said. "She's a little off."

"What do you…"

"I'll explain later," Kimiko replied. "Anyway, so why don't we get to know you Kikyou? Tell us about yourself."

The girls sat down in the grass under a tree and Kikyou joined them, introducing herself. She was overjoyed that she had made some friends.

Renji and the rest of the boys glanced over at the girls.

"Kimiko seems to be fond of the little people," Ichigo said. "Is that why she's always cuddling Toushirou?"

A vein grew on the little captain's head. "Watch your mouth Kurosaki."

"Nah, I think she does it because she dislikes people like that Ami chick," Renji replied.

"I think that's why she has a bad reputation to most," Keigo explained. "Kimiko-chan has always picked fights when she's not supposed to be involved. Usually it's with bullies harassing the younger students. She doesn't like things like that."

"Is that why?"

"I'm guessing. She defends the less popular people, like me!"

"Well at least he admits it," mumbled Ichigo.

"You're so mean!"

"Well," Ikaku said. "Maybe it is true what Tatsuki told us."

"Kimiko is tough on the outside, but sweet on the inside," Yumichika added.

"Yes," Toushirou said. "Kimiko sure has warmed up to us. Well, I suppose to Abarai more. For a person who has not had many friends, she seems to make them quickly."

Renji glanced over at Kimiko, who was laughing with the girls. He wondered how exactly a person like her couldn't have friends. She was independent, protective, fun, sweet and a great cook. _Well, maybe there are some things I still don't know…but she'll tell me when she's ready I suppose._

It was strange, but he couldn't wait to learn more about Kimiko. Renji suddenly became so interested in knowing more about this girl.

He smiled at the thought.

**Ok, that's it for chapter nine. More action will come later, like in the next chapter or so. :D And I didn't mention the other girl's names because I forgot what they were all called...**

**P.S. The Bount Arc sucks...the only reason I watch it is because of the opening theme and because of the Mod Souls, mostly Nova. X3**


	10. Kiki

**Couldn't think of a better title for this one...oh well. Also, I'm glad to have updated again. Yays. :D So, like I predicted, school has been stressful, although I have all A's and one B. I am very close to a 4.0!! XDDDD Although my backpack and extra bookbag have been taking a toll on my shoulders. D: **

Kiki

"And remember class," said the teacher. "On Friday we'll be dissecting frogs!"

The bell rang, and school was over for the day. Kimiko and the rest of her friends had Biology for the last period of the day.

"Well gee…that was fun…" said Renji in a sarcastic tone. "Learning about a frog's life cycle…"

"Oh come on Renji, it wasn't that bad," Kimiko replied. They were walking to their lockers. "I think it's very interesting. Hmm…I wonder if our teacher is gonna talk about other animals too?"

"Kimiko," began Toushirou. "Why must your school have this class called Biology?"

"Well, unlike your Shinigami Academy, us humans in the living world have to learn many kinds of topics to prepare us for the real world. Science is one of those topics. There's biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, and the like."

"Yeah…we don't know about any of that stuff…" commented Ikaku. "All we know how to do is fight with a sword and kidou. Not that I'm complaining."

Kimiko sighed. "The longer you stay in this world, the more you'll understand about our century's educational system…" She walked out of the school after retrieving books from her locker and putting some away. Her friends followed.

Nova wiggled his way out of Kimiko's bookbag. "Kimiko."

"Oh hi Nova! Finally decided to come out huh?"

"Well…I didn't want to be seen at your school…and I certainly wasn't going to come out when you were in the girl's locker room…" A blush appeared on his cute turtle face.

Kimiko giggled. "Sorry Nova. But you did want to go and visit Urahara-san today."

"Yes I know…but…couldn't you have picked me up after you got home from school?"

"I forgot to leave you there in the morning…sorry, that's why you went to school with me today…"

Ichigo felt shuffling in his bag. "I have a feeling Nova isn't the only one who hitched a ride…" He stuffed his hand into his bag and pulled out a very frustrated Kon.

"Ichigo! Do you know how hard it is to breathe in there?!"

"Kon…what the hell were you doing in my school bag?"

"I wanted to come along with nee-san…but she hid her bag under her pillow…so I couldn't get in there…"

"You little perverted rag doll…"

"I'm not a rag doll!" He jumped out of the bag and into Rukia's arms. "Nee-san…I missed you soooo much…"

"Yeah…sure you did…"

"Um…Ichigo…Rukia…what is that thing?" Kimiko pointed to Kon, Nova sitting on her shoulder.

"Oh, this is Kon, my apparent Mod Soul. He's just like Ririn, Kurodo, and Nova, except Kon can jump very high and has powerful leg strength."

Kon took a glance at Kimiko. This was the first time he had ever seen her. "Hey, who are you?"

"That's Kawasaki Kimiko," said Ichigo. "She's our new friend, and also the newest member of our team. She became a shinigami a few days ago from what Renji had told me."

"So…" began Kimiko. "You're Kon…the…stuffed lion…right?"

"You bet I am. I am the most magnificent of all the Mod Souls, much better than that Ririn for sure…"

"Kon's lucky Ririn's not here," Ichigo whispered to Rukia.

"Hey! I heard that!"

Kimiko smiled. "Well, it's nice to meet you Kon."

"My pleasure." He studied her figure closely and his eyes sparkled with delight.

"Oh my…"

"What's wrong?" Kimiko looked confused, and Ichigo had a pretty good idea on what Kon was about to say.

The stuffed lion gazed at this new feminine beauty before him. "That silky black hair, those big beautiful amber eyes, those slender legs, that teenage hourglass body, and that magnificent chest! You truly are a thing of my dreams!"

He leaped out of Rukia's arms and flew towards Kimiko. "I shall once again revisit that heavenly valley of paradise!"

Renji shoved his hand in Kon's face, clutching the little toy.

"You perverted bastard…"

"Hey!" Kon said in a muffled voice. "Let go of me!"

"No way…I don't want Kim to feel violated by something that is supposed to be inanimate!"

"I just want a hug!"

"Oh is that all?" asked Kimiko, completely unaware of Kon's true intentions. "Well that doesn't seem like harm to me."

"Kim…did you not understand anything he said?"

"Well I did understand that he thought I was pretty. And that deserves a hug."

"Oh thank you Kimiko-chan!" cried Kon. He leaped out of Renji's grasp and into Kimiko's embrace.

"Wow, you sure are a raggedy thing…"

Kon seemed to be in paradise from his facial expression. He nuzzled his face against her chest. "So warm…so soft…"

Before he knew it, Kon was slammed on the ground with a foot on his chest that belonged to a very flustered and angry Kimiko.

"Ack! Can't breathe!"

"You sick little plush! Have you no shame?!"

He noticed that he was gazing under her skirt. "Nice view Kimiko-chan."

She rubbed her foot against his plushie body, as well as his face, his back rubbing against the hard concrete sidewalk. Then she stomped her foot multiple times on his stomach.

"Ow ow ow!"

"Ok Kim," said Renji as he held her by the shoulders. "We don't want you to kill him…yet…"

Kimiko glared at the little dirty plush toy on the ground.

Toushirou shook his head, but then remembered something. "Oh yes. Kimiko," He turned to her. "Urahara-san wanted you to stop by some time this week. He finished creating your Mod Soul."

"Really? Oh that's great! I can't wait to see it!" She darted in the direction of Urahara's Shop, Nova desperately clinging onto her shoulder.

Renji sighed. "I better go after her…"

"I shall follow you Abarai."

"Can I come too taichou?!"

"Yes Matsumoto…"

"Well, I need to get dinner ready," said Orihime. "So I'll head on home. But you two can tell me all about it tonight!"

"I need to get home too…" Ikaku said. "That Asano woman wanted me to pick up some groceries with Keigo…"

"Except we don't know where he is," Yumichika added. "So really there's no point in going."

"I don't mind not eating Yumichika. But do you really wanna starve?"

"No…I suppose you have a point…"

"I need to head home…" Chad said.

"Same here," Ishida said as he pushed up his glasses with his finger.

"Well, what do you wanna do Rukia?" asked Ichigo. "Do you wanna head home to my crazed family, or would you rather watch Kimiko get a Mod Soul the complete polar opposite of her personality?"

Rukia giggled. "I suppose we could go over to the shop for a bit. Your father won't mind?"

"No…he'll just bombard me with questions about why I was out so late with a girl…but I've been through this before, so it no longer affects me."

"Then can we please hurry now?" Renji said.

"Geez Renji…why are you so impatient? Can you at least live for a minute without Kimiko by your side? Or is she essential to your life force?"

Renji blushed. "Listen Ichigo, I don't want to deal with this crap right now. Can we just head over to Urahara-san's shop?"

"Yeah…"

Kon jumped into Rukia's arms again. "Then let's hurry! The delicate Kimiko-chan is all alone in the streets! We must protect her and the valley of paradise!"

"Shut up Kon…"

--

Kimiko ran all the way to Urahara's Shop, and luckily Renji and the others caught up with her.

"We finally…" he panted. "…caught up…with…you…" He regained his breath. "You run fast Kim."

"Well you kinda have to in order not to get attacked by a Hollow."

"You were attacked by a Hollow?!"

Kimiko slapped her hand on her forehead. "You know what, let's just forget I ever said anything and walk into the store…"

Her friends followed her into the shop.

"Urahara-san? Are you here?"

"Hey there Kim!" said Ririn.

"Oh hello—um…do I know you?"

"It's me, Ririn!"

"But…you're not in your plushie form…"

"Of course she's not," replied Kurodo. "We get tired of being in those stuffed animals, and we do get hungry…we can only eat when we're inside our gigai. Oh hello Nova."

Kimiko placed Nova on the table. "Hey guys. Um, do you know where my gigai is at?"

"Yep," Ririn answered. "It's down the hall. Come on, we'll show you!" The two Mod Souls and plushie walked away from the room and down the hall.

"So that's what they look like in their gigai…" Kimiko said. "A blonde little girl and a ringmaster with glasses…"

"Yeah, they do have some strange human forms," Renji said. "Nova is just like them…although you can't really see his face…"

Yoruichi walked in. "Hey guys. Stopped for a visit?"

"We came to retrieve Kimiko's Mod Soul," Toushirou said calmly. He crossed his arms, a usual habit.

"Oh alright." Yoruichi yelled down the hall. "Hey Kisuke! Kim's here to get her Mod Soul!"

The cat woman sat down at the table with the others. "So where are the rest of your friends?"

"They went home."

Kisuke walked in with Jinta and Ururu. Tessai was in the storage room checking for inventory, so his presence was absent.

The man in clogs smiled when he saw Kimiko. "Oh Kawasaki-chan! You're here! Great! I just finished working on your Mod Soul." He held out his hand and in the center of his palm was a white round pill.

"So where is it?"

"Right here."

Kimiko gazed down at his hand. "That's it?"

"Yup."

Kimiko held the pill in between her thumb and index finger. Then she placed it on the table. "So…what do I do with it…?"

Ririn and Kurodo came back. "Wait! Don't let her eat it yet! I wanna see!"

"So do I!"

"Hey," began Kimiko. "Where's Nova?"

A teenage boy walked into the room, his red bangs and green eyes showing through his masked hoodie.

"Hey."

Kimiko blinked in astonishment. "Nova? Is this what you look like in your gigai?"

"Yes."

"You look like a ninja…"

"That's not the first time I was told that…"

Her eyes sparkled. "And you're so attractive!" She practically leaped up and clung to him. Nova was taken aback and he instantly became embarrassed. He zipped up his mask, hiding the large blush on his face. Renji had never seen this side of Kimiko before, so he was a little surprised.

"Huh? Why'd you hide your face?"

Ririn giggled. "Nova does that when he's really embarrassed, or when he blushes. For being an 'attractive' Mod Soul as you say, he's really shy."

"And to think I thought he was cute as a turtle plushie!" Kimiko squealed as she hugged him affectionately.

Renji was somewhat getting jealous, but he wasn't going to show it. Kon however, had absolutely no problem showing his emotions.

"Hey! What's the big idea Nova?! Why are you trying to steal my girl?!"

"You're girl?" said Renji as he raised an eyebrow. "Since when is Kim your girl? She belongs to nobody."

"And I bet you're waiting for the perfect time to snatch this goddess away from me and claim her and the valley of paradise, as your own! Huh Renji?!"

The redhead's face became flustered once more, although in it was mixed with rage.

"Well, putting that aside," Kisuke said. "Kawasaki-chan, do you want to test out your Mod Soul?"

"Oh ok." She let go of Nova and held the pill in her hand. "So what now?"

"You need to put it in your mouth and swallow it. Pretend it's candy. But don't chew it because you'll kill the Mod Soul."

Kimiko frowned. "So I have to pretend I'm eating candy…yet it has a soul so I can't chew it…"

"Well then pretend your taking pill medication or something."

"Alright…" Kimiko plopped the pill into her mouth, and her shinigami form shot right out of her body.

"Wha…what just happened?!"

"When a shinigami takes Soul Candy while inside a gigai, their gigai is then controlled by the Mod Soul, which is Soul Candy. This lets the shinigami fight Hollows while their gigai is still active and continues the task they were previously involved with."

"Really?"

"Yes. But you see, this Soul Candy is a Mod Soul, much different than your average Soul Candy. Soul Candy have personality, but they don't have a special attribute."

"Oh I get it."

"And one more thing Kawasaki-chan."

"What?"

"The Soul Candy given to a shinigami for their gigai, usually acts the opposite of what the actual person is like…so…how can I put this…" He scratched his head. "Take Kon and Kurosaki-san as an example…"

"Why do I get a bad feeling this won't end well?"

The Mod Soul inside Kimiko's body woke up, and lifted herself off from the floor. She rubbed her eyes and blinked. "Hmm? Where am I?"

"Hello," said Kisuke.

"Oh Urahara-sama, there you are! Where am I and who are all these people?"

"You are inside the body of a sixteen year old girl, and these are all her friends."

"And I'm that sixteen year old girl," Kimiko said as she got up from the floor and walked over to the Mod Soul in her body. "My name is Kimiko, but you can call me Kim. And you're inside my body."

"Oh my name is Kiki. Nice to meet you." She got up. "Wow, it feels weird being in a human body."

Kimiko smiled. "She's not so bad."

"Just wait a minute," Ichigo said to her. "It's gonna get better…"

"Can I have a mirror please?" Kiki asked. Ririn handed her a mirror, and the reflection made Kiki smile. She handed the object back to the girl.

"This…this young body…slender legs…hourglass figure…long black silky hair…captivating eyes…I'm gorgeous!" She chuckled somewhat mischievously. "Oh I definitely can have some fun with this body…heh heh. I just need to improvise. Now let's see…"

She looked at herself in a large wall mirror in the hallway. First she let down her hair so that it flowed down to the middle of her back. Then she unbuttoned her shirt a little, revealing the crevice of her chest, and then she tied a knot at the bottom of her shirt, letting her belly show. She also shifted her skirt so that it went down to the beginning of her hips, and folded it from the bottom to make it seem shorter.

"Now this is what I call a body!"

She walked back to the room, swaying her hips to make her appear more feminine.

"So," she said when she got back. "What do you boys think?" Her voice sounded seductive.

The boys, which included Renji, Ichigo, and Toushirou, merely blinked for a moment. Nova zipped up his mask again.

Kimiko was dumbstruck. "What…the…hell…?"

"See…I told ya…" Ichigo mumbled. "It's only gets worse here on in…"

Renji was beginning to grow a blush up his face, it clearly showing on his cheeks. Toushirou was wide eyed.

_Yes…this is definitely Kimiko's opposite…_

Rukia had no comment, but was just as astonished as Kimiko was.

Kiki gazed over at the young boys and walked over to them in a seductive manner. Her first victim, Ichigo.

"Hey there handsome. What's your name?"

"Uh…Ichigo…"

"Mm. I love strawberries." She licked her lips and this made Ichigo blush. Rukia's glare was burning a hole in Kiki's back, so the Mod Soul decided to leave Ichigo alone.

Victim number two, Toushirou.

"Aww, now aren't you just the cutest little thing?!" She attached herself to him and cuddled him in her arms. "Oh your hair is so soft and fluffy! It's so white!" She ran her fingers along the top of his head where his fluffy white hair was. She squealed and cuddled him like a baby.

Toushirou blushed again, trying very hard to keep a serious face, but it was becoming very difficult as Kiki continued to hold him.

"Hey!" said Matsumoto. "Only I can hold taichou like that!" She pushed Kiki away from Toushirou and held him tightly. "Don't you know you could of suffocated him?!"

A vein grew on the little captain's head. "Matsumoto…you suffocate me every day!"

"Now taichou, let the adults talk."

Kiki giggled.

Toushirou fumed. "See? It's your fault nobody takes us seriously!"

"I think that kid's lucky to have a goddess like Matsumoto-san with him all the time," Kon said. "I would never mind being hugged by her…"

"Shut up Kon." Ichigo shoved his face on a pillow, but Kon managed to get out. Kiki was his next target.

"If you want somebody to hug, I'm right here for you baby!" He leaped up at Kiki, who only punched him in the face and he was sent flying towards the wall.

"That is one weird talking stuffed animal…" She noticed Nova hiding his face and walked over to him. "So, you're a Mod Soul too huh? Let me see that face of yours."

She slowly unzipped his mask and Nova was taken by surprise. The blush only grew bigger.

"Aww, you look so adorable when you blush!"

"Um…"

"Hey you!" shouted Kimiko as she angrily pointed a finger in Kiki's direction. "Get out of my body!"

Kiki ignored her and glanced around the room, when she noticed Renji. He had been observing this new Kimiko ever since Kiki came back from the hallway. She walked seductively over to him.

"Hey there hottie."

He blinked.

"I hear your name is Renji. Am I correct?"

"Y-yeah…"

She sat down in front of him and leaned close to his face, running a hand up his chest. "I can think of a lot of things we could be doing right now." She batted her eyelashes slowly, her amber orbs gazing into his eyes.

"Did anyone ever tell you were attractive?" She ran her hand up to his cheek. Her body was practically on him.

Renji had an enormous red streak across his face, and multiple times he had to tell himself that this wasn't Kimiko.

_This isn't Kim…this isn't Kim…_

Kiki noticed he was crumbling under her touch. "Ever play seven minutes in hea--"

Kimiko pounced on Kiki, removing her from Renji.

"Listen you!" shouted Kimiko. "I will not have you doing things that aren't civil!"

"Come on hun. You have a fine body, so use it!"

"I would like to keep my innocence and not get pregnant at a young age, thank you very much!"

"But don't you think babies are cute?"

"I will have one when I'm married, not when I'm in high school!"

"You know you want redhead over there. I can see it in your eyes." She gave a mischievous smirk. "I can see it in his eyes too."

"Urahara-san!" yelled Kimiko with a pink face. "How do I get her out of my body?!"

Kisuke had been chuckling to himself due to the amusing scene that had unfolded. "Huh? Oh yes. Well, there are several ways to remove a Mod Soul. But I'll do it this time for you." He gently tapped his cane on Kiki's stomach and out popped the white pill.

"Now Kawasaki-chan, this Mod Soul, as you may have noticed, is your complete opposite."

"No kidding!"

"There's no need for sarcasm here. Anyway, as you can tell, she's very playful and she has a little bit of a seductive nature."

"A little?!"

"Oh and she has super strength."

Kimiko blinked. "Really?"

"Yes, but you see, you didn't make her angry, so she didn't show you her true power yet."

"I see."

"And when she's in her gigai, her strength is a lot greater than when she's in a plush toy."

"So when are you gonna give her a gigai?"

"I'm still working on it my dear…but for the mean time, you're gonna have to put her in a stuffed animal, just like the other Mod Souls."

"Well…I'll see what I can find…" She sighed. "Now to get back into my body." Kimiko returned back inside her body, and regained her human form.

"I feel very strange wearing my clothes like this…" She pulled up her skirt so that it wasn't at her hips as well as folding it back to normal, then she undid the knot and button-upped her shirt, and finally tying her hair back to it's original state.

She sat down on a pillow and sighed. "Why me?"

"It's not just you ya know…" Ichigo said. "Kon has been messing up my reputation by acting perverted when he's inside my body. Do you know how that feels?"

"Not really."

"We'll you're probably gonna find out soon thanks to your new Mod Soul."

"Urahara-san," began Kimiko. "Why did you give Kiki a seductive personality?"

"Well, seeing as how you are a very decent girl, I gave her a personality opposite of yours. It would be boring if she was exactly like you. And it's fun to watch too!"

Yuroichi shook her head. "In any case, Kiki will be your replacement if you need to fight a Hollow. Just plop her into your mouth and she'll take control."

"That's what I'm afraid of…I don't want her seducing half the guys at school! That would just make the female student body dislike me even more!"

"More?"

Kimiko looked at the floor. "I'm not exactly popular…most of the girls dislike me, and the guys ignore me…I don't meet up to their standards as a friend or a girlfriend…but…I guess I'm just one of those people who should be left alone anyway…"

She got up. "I need to get home now. Thank you Urahara-san." She bowed and put Kiki in her pocket. She turned to her friends. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." Kimiko put on her shoes and grabbed her bag as she walked out the door.

"Is she serious?" asked Kon who now was able to move. "I would think that a girl like her would have a lot of friends."

"I guess not," Ichigo said. "I may have only known her for a short time, but Orihime has told me a lot of things about Kimiko I didn't really know of. Tatsuki tells Orihime everything, so that's how I know. Apparently, most of the girls don't get along with Kimiko because they see her as different."

"How?"

"She's like a tomboy and would always have a bone to pick with the guys, some of them being boyfriends of our female classmates. So she would beat them up if the guys were picking on a younger student or just being jerks. You can kinda guess how their girlfriends reacted to the news when they were sent to the nurse…"

"Is that why?"

"I guess. And none of the guys wanna go out with her because…well, she's not exactly an intimate person. I often see guys kissing their girlfriends wherever in the hallway, and Kim wouldn't allow herself to be subjected to things like that. I suppose that's the reason why guys don't wanna go out with her, just because guys want to have their way. Hormones are dangerous."

"Yeah," Renji said. "But not all guys are like that. You aren't…right?"

Ichigo glared. "Of course not idiot! That's immoral to do something wrong to a girl involuntarily! Not all guys at our school are like that. Only about two thirds. But I can see why Kim wouldn't want to have a boyfriend. Not to mention that some girls at our school aren't exactly innocent anymore."

Toushirou's eyes widened. "Are females allowed to do such things when they're that young?"

"I guess. They don't seem to mind."

"And how do you know about this exactly Kurosaki?"

"Girls gossip a lot in homeroom and they talk kinda loud, that the other girls in their group have to keep shushing them."

"Hmm." Kisuke put a hand to his chin. "I always thought Kawasaki-chan to be somebody who would have a lot of friends."

"She can have a nasty temper," Renji said. "But if you look past that, she's actually a really kind and caring person." He just remembered that he was living with her, and she was out on the streets going home.

"Crap! I gotta go!" He put on his shoes and grabbed his bag. "See you guys tomorrow!"

Nova, knowing now that he was gonna live with Kimiko as well, grabbed his plushie form and ran after Renji.

"I better be going too," Ichigo said. "My dad is gonna get suspicious. Coming Rukia?"

"Yes."

"We better head home too," Matsumoto said. "Orihime-chan is cooking up something tasty for us tonight! Isn't that right taichou?"

"Yes…it is always a new surprise every day…"

--

Kimiko was at the gate to her apartment building, when Renji and Nova caught up with her.

"Why'd you leave like that Kim?"

"Sorry Renji…I just…wanted to get home that's all…" She grabbed the keys from her bag and unlocked the door, only to find her brothers finishing up their homework.

"Nee-chan! You're home!"

"Hey guys." She took off her shoes at the door and so did Renji.

Keitaro and Hiroshi looked at Nova. "Nee-chan…" they began. "Who's that?"

"Oh this is Nova in his human form."

"Wow! A ninja!" said Hiroshi with delight. "So can you throw shuriken and stuff?"

"Um…well, I'm not exactly a ninja…"

"But you must move stealthily like one!" Keitaro said.

"Are you boys done with your homework?" asked Kimiko.

"Yup! We finished five minutes ago!"

"And we already ate, so don't worry nee-chan about making dinner."

They put away their things inside their backpacks and went to their room.

"Well, do you guys want food?"

"That's ok Kim," said Renji. "We'll just make ourselves some sandwiches."

"Ok. I gotta go check on Usagi-chan." Kimiko walked to her room and closed the door.

"Who's Usagi-chan?" asked Nova as he found the bread.

"That's Kim's pet rabbit. She's in a cage inside her room."

"Oh…I hope she doesn't chew on my plushie form…"

--

Kimiko had bathed and gotten her brothers to go to sleep. Nova had returned to his plushie form and hopped onto Kimiko's bed. He watched her shuffle around a wooden box full of stuffed animals.

"Now which one do you think would fit Kiki best?" She laid out three plushies: a panda, a fox, and a crocodile.

"Well…I think the fox would fit her best."

"Me too." Kimiko took the Mod Soul pill from her pocket and placed it inside the fox plushie. The thing blinked and sat up.

"Where am I now?"

"You're in my house. And this is my room."

Kiki looked down at herself and screamed. "What…what is this?!"

"It's your plushie form. You're inside one of my stuffed animals."

"But why?!"

"Because I use this body and it's mine!"

"So what am I then?!"

"You are now a stuffed fox in a summer dress."

Kiki jumped to Kimiko's dresser and gasped at the reflection. She was a fox with a yellow summer dress with a cute sunhat to match. There was a ribbon tied around her waist and a fake small pearl necklace around her neck.

"Why...why…" she began as anime tears flowed down her cheeks. "Why do you hate me so?"

"I don't hate you. I gave you the best looking stuffed animal I had! Unless you wanted to be a chubby panda or a crocodile."

Kiki sighed. "Ok...fine…I guess this isn't so bad…" She noticed Nova. "Who's that?"

"Nova in his plushie form. He's a turtle."

Kiki smiled and hopped back onto the bed, running towards Nova. "Ooooh! You're so cute!"

Nova blushed and tucked in his head inside his shell. Kiki clinged to him and he only blushed more.

"Kim," Renji said as he knocked on her door. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah."

The redhead came inside the room wearing his pajamas. He looked at Kiki. "So that's her plushie form?"

"Yup."

"Interesting."

"What's Renji doing here?" asked Kiki.

"Oh he lives with me."

"Pfft. And you say you wanna keep your innocence until marriage. You have a hot guy living in your house! Who knows what could happen at night!"

"For your information Kiki, he needs a place to stay! And he also protects me from Hollows as well as protects my brothers!"

"You have brothers?! How old are they?!"

"Twelve."

Kiki frowned. "No use trying to seduce little boys…I have my limits."

"And to think I thought you had no morals."

The fox glared. "Look, while I am a seductress, I know when to put down my foot and control myself. Don't think I'm all bad."

"I would like to hope not…"

"May I just get some rest? I need my beauty sleep."

"You're a talking plush. Why would you need to sleep?"

"Because I'm tired!" She stomped over to Kimiko's pillow. "Now don't disturb me!" Kiki flopped down onto her pillow and closed her eyes. The girl just shook her head.

"Well, I better get some shut eye too. Goodnight Renji." She got up and kissed him on the forehead again. Then she closed the door to her room.

Renji smiled and turned off the lights in the living room. He lay on the couch and looked at the ceiling again, remembering what Ichigo had told him earlier.

_I often see guys kissing their girlfriends wherever in the hallway, and Kim wouldn't allow herself to be subjected to things like that. I suppose that's the reason why guys don't wanna go out with her, just because guys want to have their way._

"Still…that doesn't explain why she doesn't have a lot of friends. I mean…she's a really great person, and I wish everybody else could see her in that light."

He closed his eyes, and only hoped things would get better.

**Yup. Kimiko finally got her Mod Soul. Hoped you liked it. Please review. :3**


	11. Frightfully Fun

**Since it is the month of October, I have decided to make a Halloween chapter for this story. Enjoy! :D**

Frightfully Fun

Weeks had passed. The weather started to cool down a bit. Autumn was apparent as the leaves on the trees turned brown, orange, and red. It was almost the middle of October and the school was getting excited for the spooky events that would be sure to happen soon.

"Class! Please sit down!" said the teacher. The students stopped socializing and sat in their seats.

The teacher cleared her throat. "As you all know, every year we celebrate holidays with festivals, or dances, however small. And as seeing that it's October, Halloween will soon come. So! In a few days, about two weeks, we will hold a dance in the gym. You must all bring a costume."

She noticed the clock. "But seeing as how we're out of time, I'll tell you the details tomorrow." The bell rang loudly throughout the school.

"Alright kids! Class dismissed!"

The students hurriedly got out of the classroom to their next periods.

--

At lunch, the students rushed out of the room to eat at the cafeteria. Kimiko walked to her locker to put away her books.

"So," began Renji. "What's…Halloween?"

Kimiko blinked at him. "You don't know?"

"I live in Soul Society remember?"

She smiled and closed her locker door. "Well, then I guess I'll have to explain it to you."

The two of them began to walk down the hall.

"So what's Halloween Kim?"

"Halloween is a holiday on the last day of October. Originally it was a day for harvest, but somehow it ended up being a day for scaring people centuries later. Today we use Halloween for trick or treating."

"Trick or treating?"

"Children dress up in costumes and go from house to house saying 'Trick or Treat' and they get candy. It's the only time of the year where you can dress up as anything you want."

"Is that all it is?"

"Besides that, a lot of scary things can happen too. Usually at festivals, there's haunted houses where people scare the living daylights out of you."

"Really?"

Kimiko giggled. "You look lost Renji. Come on, let's go to the library and get some books instead."

She grabbed his hand and led him towards the library, while the redhead had a blush spreading across his face.

--

"Ah, Kimiko-chan!" said the librarian. "Welcome!"

"Hello Isuzu-san," said Kimiko.

"How can I help you today?"

"We're looking for books on Halloween."

"Ah, well then, please follow me." Renji and Kimiko followed Isuzu to one of the aisles in the library. She pulled out a few books and handed them to Kimiko.

"These should help you if you're looking for information. I'll be at my desk if you need anything."

"Alright, thank you!" Kimiko turned to Renji. "So you wanna sit down at look at them?"

"Sure."

The two found a vacant table near the center of the library. Renji looked through the books that the librarian had picked out for them. "Hmm…"

"What's wrong Renji?"

"I don't know where to start…"

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"The basics I guess."

"Oh then here." She handed him a book titled _The Basics of Halloween_.

"Kind of an obvious title Kim…"

She smiled. "Hey I didn't write it."

For a while, Renji skimmed through the books in deep concentration for the first time ever. Kimiko just smiled at him as she watched him read.

"Ah," he said as he put down the book. "I get it now. But I don't understand why people in this world celebrate such bizarre holidays."

"Why doesn't Soul Society celebrate _any_ holidays?"

"I don't know…that's something you gotta ask them."

"Well anyway, we better get going." Kimiko got up and took the books in her hands. She walked over to the shelf and started to put the books away. She glared at the top shelf.

"Uh…what's wrong?" asked Renji.

"I can't reach the top shelf…is there like a footstool or something?"

"I'll put it up for you if you want."

"No I wanna do this by myself." She looked around for something to stand on. Then she found a footstool and placed it underneath the shelf. She stepped on it and stretched out to put the book away, but it was just slightly out of her reach.

Then, she felt hands on the sides of her waist lifting her up for that extra boost. She put the book away but a blush was creeping up her face.

"Renji…you can put me down now."

The redhead placed her on the floor and the next minute he was smacked in the head with her book bag.

"What the hell was that for?!" Renji said angrily. But Kimiko was already walking out of the library. Renji followed her. "Kim!"

"Don't do that!"

"Do what?!"

"I don't want you touching me!"

"What do you mean?!"

"I don't want you holding me like that!"

"I was only trying to help!"

"Well next time warn me!" Her face was flushed. "I'm not used…I'm not used to being touched there…"

"Oh…sorry…" He was suddenly embarrassed. _Why'd I do that anyway?_

"Well whatever. So, we still have half of the lunch period. Wanna go in the cafeteria?"

"Alright."

--

"There you guys are," Ichigo said as he saw Kimiko and Renji walking towards them. Today, Rukia, Orihime, and Matsumoto decided to stay with the guys.

"Where were you?" asked Matsumoto.

"Oh we were at the library," Renji replied as he sat down. "I wanted to know what Halloween was so Kim took me to the library. Now I have a better understanding of it."

"Oooh! Can you tell me all the details?"

"Sure."

"I already know about Halloween," said Rukia. "Ichigo already told me."

"You make it sound like it was an accomplishment…" commented the strawberry.

As Renji was busy telling Matsumoto and the other shinigami about Halloween, Kimiko was lost in her own thoughts.

_It's been a while…since somebody has held me like that…it was so unexpected…that's why I blew up in his face…I'm not used to being touched in that manner…and even though he was only trying to help me…it still felt weird…_

"Kimiko-chan?"

She snapped out of her thoughts. "Yes Matsumoto-san?"

"I was wondering…are you gonna go to the dance for Halloween?"

"We're having another dance?"

Toushirou took out something from his book bag. "Yes, it was in the school newspaper. Look." He handed it to her.

"Oh…well…"

"It looks so fun!" exclaimed Matsumoto. "I already have some ideas on what I can be! Oooh! I bet a maid would be cute! Or maybe a cat…hmm…a nurse wouldn't hurt either…"

"Is it just me…or does Matsumoto want costumes that are…seductive?" Ishida said, mostly to himself.

"Are you going Kimiko?" asked Rukia. "I went last year and it was fun!"

"Rukia dressed up as a bunny…" Ichigo said. "I was really embarrassed…"

"Why?"

"Because! Who dresses up as a bunny?!"

"Well! I liked it!"

"Ugh…" he held his head in his hands. _Well…she did look sorta cute…but still…_

Rukia turned back to Kimiko. "So are you going?"

"Oh…um…no, I'm not…"

"Oh but why?" asked Orihime. "Everybody goes to dances!"

"Not me. I'm just there to help set up and clean up. I also help with the supplies. Usually I'm just sitting by myself behind the curtain of the stage."

"But…what do you do there?"

"Mm…I try to finish and homework I have, and then if not I usually just read a book."

"How can you hear with all the music?"

"Oh I take care of that problem by bringing ear muffs."

Orihime looked at her saddened. "Kimiko-san…you…do you do that at every dance…?"

"Yes…"

"But…why?"

"Well…I really see no point in going. I mean, nobody even asks me to go, so instead of feeling sorry for myself at home, I decide to help out with the event. If I can't be happy, then I shouldn't drag other people down with me. That's selfish."

"But…surely somebody has asked you…"

"No. And if they ever do ask me…" She looked down. "It's only because it was a dare or I was a last resort…"

Renji looked at her sorrow clearly visible on her face. He was gonna say something, but then the bell rang.

"Time to go to class," Kimiko said as she got her books. She walked out of the cafeteria and towards her next class.

Her friends just looked at her.

--

Finally, the day was over. The students were happy to finally be out of the birdcage known as school.

"So what are you gonna go as Renji?" asked Ichigo.

"What are you talking about?"

"Are you that forgetful? Aren't you going to the dance?"

"I don't know. I really don't care. I guess whatever comes to mind. You?"

"Don't know. My sisters usually give me ideas so I'll stick with that. Sometimes Rukia offers her opinions but I usually don't listen to them."

Ichigo felt somebody punch his arm. "I heard that Ichigo."

"You know I'm kidding Rukia…" he said as he rubbed his arm. He turned to Kimiko. "Are you going?"

"No…"

Suddenly they heard a loud voice. "Hey guys! Loooooook!"

"For some reason I recognize that voice," said Renji.

"That's because it's probably Kiki…" replied Ichigo. And sure enough, he was right.

Kiki ran up to Kimiko and the rest. "Hey guys! Look what I got!"

Kimiko blinked. "You finally got a gigai?"

"Yup! Urahara-sama did an awesome job too! This body totally fits me!"

Kiki's gigai looked about the age of a seventeen year old. She had a shapely body, although not like Matsumoto's, and her hair was in pigtails at the top of her head, but they weren't that long. The remainder of her hair went up to the back of her neck. It was brown, with red streaks in it. Her clothes were very bold. She had a black jean skirt that was a little short, her shirt was dark gray with a yellow shooting star on it with a small rainbow trail, but she allowed her belly to show a bit. Her undershirt was long-sleeved that was like netting and she wore a studded belt. She had a necklace with a music note, earrings with small guitars on them, and her socks had thick black and rainbow stripes on it. She had boots that almost went up to her knees and a chain with charms on it was clipped on to her jean skirt. Not to mention she had a few bracelets on her wrists and a ring on each finger.

"Sooooo…what do you guys think?"

"You look ridiculous," said Kimiko.

"Don't hate on my awesome style just because you wear plain clothes. You know how many cute outfits I found in your closet and drawers? Why don't you wear them?!"

"Because!"

"Well if you're not gonna wear them…can I have them?"

"No…I bought those with my own money and I'm not gonna let you tarnish them with who knows what."

Kiki made a face at Kimiko. "Well anyway," she said to the others. "What do you guys think?"

"You look like a punk rocker…" Ichigo said. "Is that how you want to be dressed?"

"Hell yeah! This outfit is perfect for me! You see, I have noticed that each of the Mod Souls Urahara-sama has created all dress a certain way depending on their personality. Ririn has a pink dress because she's a little girl, Kurodo dresses in a top hat and educated looking clothes because he's a gentleman, Nova dresses like a ninja because he's quiet, and I dress like this because I'm wild! See? It all works out."

"Yeah…"

"Anyway…" said Kiki. "I heard that there's gonna be a Halloween dance or something at your school. Can I come?"

"No," said Kimiko. "Only students who go to Karakura High are allowed."

"Aww…but I heard other people can go! Come on!"

"Ichigoooooooo!" Everybody knew that voice…

Keigo almost tackled Ichigo to the floor, but the orange haired teen stopped him with his foot.

"Ow! That hurt!"

"What do you want Keigo?"

"Are you going to the dance?"

"Yeah…I guess."

"Is Kuchiki-san going with you?"

"I always go with Ichigo," Rukia said. "I really don't know anybody else."

Keigo noticed Kiki standing there. "Who's…who's your friend?"

"Oh that's Kiki. She's…er…"

"My cousin," Kimiko said.

"You're cousin?" said Kiki to the girl as she raised an eyebrow. Kimiko gave her a look. "Oh yeah! Yeah, I'm her cousin from…um…America! Yeah see, I moved here just…last month and well you get the idea."

"I see!" He walked happily over to her. "So…do you go to Karakura High?"

"Uh…no…um…I'm home schooled…by…my father! Yeah, so I don't come here."

"Oh…well, can you go to parties and everything?"

"There's gonna be a party? I love parties!"

"Well we're gonna have a dance in two weeks so--"

"Sorry I already have a boyfriend and he's gonna take me."

Poor Keigo was instantly shot down. He was practically dying on the concrete floor. Everyone else sweatdropped.

"Well I've gotta get home," Kimiko said. "But first I need to pick up Hiroshi and Keitaro."

"Oh I already did that for you Kim!" said Kiki. "They're at home with Nova right now so you don't need to worry."

"I would like to hope so…"

After saying their goodbyes to everyone, the friends walked their separate ways home.

--

"Novaaaaaa!" yelled Kiki as she bursted through the apartment door. Nova was on the couch reading a book while the twins were finishing their homework.

"Hmm?" He looked up to see that Kiki was running towards him. She sat herself down on the couch and leaned on the young man, wrapping her arms around him.

"Nova darling…"

He blushed and zipped up his mask.

"Did you know there's gonna be a Halloween dance at Kim's school? I told this one guy you were my boyfriend so he couldn't ask me out. And you know what that means?"

"N-No…"

"It means now you get to be my pretend boyfriend!" she shrieked. "But…" She unzipped his mask. "I can be your real girlfriend if you want." Her seductive voice only caused the redness in Nova's face to grow.

Renji shook his head and sat down on the table. The twins smiled at him. "Hello Renji nii-san!" they said simultaneously. "How was your day?"

"Fine I guess…" He took out his books and began his homework. Kimiko walked into the kitchen and began making dinner since she always finishes her homework in school.

"Nee-chan," said the twins. "How was your day?"

"Good."

"Anything new?"

"No…"

"She's having a dance at her school for Halloween," said Kiki. "And I can go! Yay!"

Hiroshi looked at Keitaro, and he looked back. "Um…nee-chan, are you gonna go this year?"

"You two know I never go to dances…"

"Well…" began Keitaro. "We were invited to go Trick or Treating with our friends…and we wanted to ask you if we could go…"

"And we don't want nee-chan to be by herself on Halloween," added Hiroshi.

"Really, it's fine. Now, what are you two going to be?"

"Well, we really didn't know, so we asked some kids in our class." Keitaro smiled. "When we asked the girls, they said we should be these brother characters from a shoujo manga that they liked. Looked pretty gay to me, but they were twins so there's one idea…I just don't know how we're going to make our hair orange and wear rich uniforms…"

"And when we asked the guys, they said that we should be these two villainous characters from a shounen manga." Hiroshi smiled happily. "One looks like a zombie and the other one can make his skin look like a skeleton! And he carries this really awesome scythe around!"

"Can I at least see pictures of these characters before you dress up as them?" asked Kimiko. "I want to see if they're appropriate costumes."

"Aww…nee-chan, you know we'd never dress up as anything inappropriate…"

"Still."

"Ok…we'll ask them for pictures…but can we go?"

"Of course. But I want you guys to be home before nine!"

"Halloween lands on a Friday nee-chan!" cried Keitaro. "Can't we stay at our friend's house after?"

Kimiko sighed. "Only if you promise to check _all_ the candy you get."

"We promise!" the twins said.

"Ok then. You can go."

"Yay!"

Kimiko chuckled to herself and continued making dinner. Kiki was watching TV with Nova, who was now sitting on another couch because of her behavior earlier. Renji was trying to finish his homework while the twins began to draw routes they wanted to take for getting candy.

"Hey Renji nii-san," began Hiroshi. "What do you wanna dress up as?"

"I really don't care."

"How about a pirate? That would be a great costume!"

"I guess…"

"We know this really great costume shop!" butted in Keitaro. "You could check it out on Saturday! Can we go nee-chan?"

"Actually on Saturday I'm supposed to practice more of my karate with Tatsuki."

"Then have no fear!" Kiki said as she shot up from the couch. She had been eavesdropping. "I will take them to the costume shop!"

"Do you even know where it is?"

"No but your little brothers are very smart and adorable! Now if I can just tell which is which…"

The twins gave a cute toothy grin and continued drawing their map.

--

A few days later on Saturday, Renji woke up to find that the apartment was quiet. Usually Kimiko was already up and making breakfast, but he smelled nothing.

"Oh I forgot. She went to karate practice with Tatsuki."

The redhead sat up and yawned, but when he opened his eyes, Kiki was right there in front of him.

"Ah!"

"Oh did I scare you Renji?"

"What do you think?!"

"Hmm…well…" She had a naughty smile and a twinkle in her eyes. "Kim's not here, and her brothers are still asleep…so…" She leaned on him, her hands running up his tattooed chest. "Let's do something fun. Huh?"

"Gee…you really are different from Kim…" He removed her from his being. "No, I don't want to do anything with you. I'm hungry so I'm gonna have some cereal. Although for Kim's sake I should start to learn how to cook…"

He tied up his hair while Kiki merely admired him. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Sorry. It's not my fault I'm attracted to hot guys. Maybe you should be uglier. But seeing as how that's impossible for you, you're outta luck hun."

Renji sighed in annoyance and got up, putting on a muscle shirt so as not to tempt Kiki even though he wouldn't even try it in the first place.

As he began to get the cereal from the cupboard, he heard two yawns and looked towards the hallway, to see a half asleep Hiroshi and Keitaro.

"Renji nii-san…" they said. "What are you doing?"

"Getting cereal."

"You didn't have to scream you know…" said Hiroshi.

"Well that's Kiki's fault…not mine…"

"Kiki nee-chan," Keitaro began. "Why'd you have to wake us up?"

"Sorry guys…but Nova wasn't here…I think he left with Kimiko…"

"And I have a pretty good idea why…" Renji said to himself, although Kiki heard and shot a glare at him.

The twins rubbed their sleepy eyes and walked over to the kitchen. They began to take out cooking utensils.

"What are you guys gonna make?" Kiki asked.

"We're gonna make pancakes since Renji nii-san is obviously helpless right now."

The redhead looked embarrassed, if not angry. "Well excuse me for not knowing how to cook the way Kimiko does!"

"If you want, we can teach you. That would help nee-chan a lot."

Renji decided this was a good idea. Kiki wanted to learn too, so she decided to let the twins teach them both.

--

Kimiko was jogging on her way back home, Nova right beside her.

"Man that was a good work out!" she said. "It feels really good to exercise in the morning!"

"You're very strong Kimiko," Nova said. "I didn't know you could make three brick boards get sliced in half."

"Well Tatsuki can slice five, so I'm not that good. Still learning though."

"I can tell you're a healthy person."

"Yup. While I'm not like some of the girls at my school who go on those model diets, I still like to make sure I eat healthy. I try to eat more sea food than red meat, but they both have their ups and downs. I really love eating fruit, and vegetables taste good to me when I put them in soup. Healthy foods can be real yummy if you cook them the right way."

"So you don't like eating sweets?"

"Of course! I enjoy eating cake, well, mostly just chocolate, and I also love pies. Cookies are good too."

"Too bad Ririn doesn't eat like you. She wants to stay healthy in her gigai even though Urahara-san will probably change it in the future."

"Well, you can eat anything as long as you work it off with exercise. That's what I was told."

"Sounds like a good theory."

She giggled. "It is."

The two reached the apartment building and Kimiko took out her keys from her gym bag. She unlocked the door and stepped inside, Nova closing the door behind them.

"Guys, I'm hom--"

Both her and Nova looked at the kitchen. Kimiko had a horrified look on her face. "Wh…what…"

"Nee-chan!" said the twins happily. "Hi!" Their faces were covered in batter.

"What happened to my kitchen!?"

There were broken eggs on the floor and milk splatters on the walls. Not only that, but pancake batter was everywhere and flour was smothered on the four culprit's faces.

"We were trying to teach Renji nii-san and Kiki nee-chan how to make pancakes," Hiroshi said. "But as you can see…it didn't turn out so well…"

Kimiko looked angry. "Renji…Kiki…" She used her finger to motion them towards her. "Come…here…"

"Er…I think I'll just stay over here…" said Renji.

Kiki hid behind the twins, crouching down. Kimiko was in a silent rage but she didn't want to cause any trouble so early in the morning.

"Clean this up…now…" She stomped over to the hallway closet and threw the four a bucket and mop. "This kitchen better be spotless when I get out of the shower. I mean it."

Kimiko walked angrily to the bathroom and closed the door. Nova quietly walked over to the living room and sat down, continuing to read a book he started yesterday.

Renji could tell Kimiko was angry with him. But it's not his fault the kitchen looked the way it did! It should have been a bigger space for cooking!

--

Kimiko got out of the shower about forty minutes after, and she walked into her room after wrapping a towel around her. She entered her room and closed the door.

"Hmm…well…Kiki said I should try on some of my cuter outfits…but…I don't know which ones…"

She looked through her closet for anything she hadn't worn. "This looks ok…"

The girl put on a pink shirt with elegant maroon flower patterns on it. Then she put on overalls that looked like a dress. It went up to her knees. "Hmm…this is ok I guess."

She walked up to her dresser and began to brush her hair. Then she tied it up in her usual manner, and put on a pink necklace to match. She didn't want Kiki improving her look in ways she wouldn't allow.

After that, she walked out of the room towards the kitchen. "Wow, you guys did a good job."

The kitchen was spotless for the most part and the twins were cleaning the dishes that had been dirtied.

"Well I'm impressed," said Kimiko as she put her hands on her hips. "You guys actually cleaned the kitchen."

She walked over to the door and put on her shoes.

"Nee-chan," said Keitaro. "Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna help set up the gym at school for the dance."

"But that's not until next Friday."

"I know but we like to decorate it real nice. Besides, I manage these kinds of things instead of actually going to the dance."

"Why didn't you tell me you were going today?" asked Renji.

"I really didn't think it was important to do so. You can come if you want. I don't mind. But you're gonna help if you tag along."

"Yeah ok." Renji put away the cleaning utensils and got dressed himself. Then he followed Kimiko out the door.

"Oh and Hiroshi, Keitaro?"

"Yes nee-chan?"

"You can go look for costumes today if you want. That is, if Kiki doesn't mind."

"Of course not!" said the wild girl. "I'll make sure they get to that shop with no harm!"

"For some reason I don't trust that sentence. So, I would like Nova to go with you guys. Is that ok Nova?"

"It's no problem. I'll take care of them."

"Ok. Hiroshi, Keitaro, here's some money to buy your costumes." Kimiko handed them some cash. "But don't spend it on something you won't wear. Make sure you get the thing that you like."

"Thanks nee-chan!"

--

Once Kimiko and Renji arrived at the school, they began to set up. Tatsuki came along, as well as Keigo. He had nothing to do and he didn't want to stay at home with his sister, Ikaku, or Yumichika.

"Hey Kim!" said Tatsuki.

"Hello."

"That training today was a workout huh?"

"Yes. I really enjoyed it!"

"Kimiko-chan!" Keigo said happily. "You look so cute today!"

"Well my cousin convinced me to wear some of my other clothes…"

"Ah, Renji you came too!"

"Yeah. I didn't wanna be stuck at home."

"Well then, let's get started!" Kimiko took out a clipboard from her backpack (which was a ladybug that Kiki had made her wear) and a pencil. She looked around at all the volunteers. There were more this year.

"Now then, let's get some ideas on how this place is gonna look."

"I think we should have a haunted house section somewhere," said one.

"And we can have a place where you take pictures with a spooky backdrop!" said another.

Soon people began to throw their ideas at Kimiko. She wrote them all down. "Well, these are all good ideas. But now we have to think about the schools budget and supplies…"

After talking it over with everyone, Kimiko began to cross out things the others realized they didn't need or could do without. Once everybody was sure what they wanted to do, Kimiko smiled.

"Alright. This is a pretty good layout. I sketched a drawing on how the gym would look like, so I'm sure this is acceptable. Now, we need to start setting up. Somebody needs to paint a banner, somebody should go and get supplies from the craft store…" she began to give out instructions to everyone.

"Now, does everybody understand their jobs?"

"Yes!"

"Ok. Well, let's decorate this gym!"

"Kimiko-chan is really good at organizing," said Keigo to Tatsuki and Renji. They were to paint the banner.

"Yeah, she is. I've never seen her this enthusiastic. Renji, you seem to hang around Kim a lot. Notice why the sudden change?"

"Not really…I mean, I noticed she was thinking about Halloween right after I asked her some questions about it--"

"Questions? What kind of questions?"

"Uh…well you know…the general history…but that doesn't matter. I guess she's just that type of person who likes to help out."

"True," Keigo said. "But I really wish she'd go to the dances…I mean, she organizes them all yet she doesn't attend…"

"Kim's not a really sociable person…" said Tatsuki. "But I mean…we can't all be the same right?"

Renji nodded, but still wished Kimiko would enjoy herself more.

--

After about an hour, people were getting to their jobs. Even though some of them were afraid of Kimiko, they listened to her when she gave them instructions.

The gym doors opened and in stepped Ami. "Hey people!" She was enthusiastic. Most of the boys greeted her.

Kimiko walked up to the girl, somewhat coldly. "Ami, you're an hour late."

"And what is it to you Kawasaki?"

"If you're gonna volunteer for something, you should be diligent and get here on time. I already assigned everybody jobs."

"You're organizing this dance again? Hey wait a minute! The student council said I could organize it!"

"Well they decided to let me do the job since I get here on time and don't slack off. Now if you're serious about this Ami, then get to work."

"Hmph. I don't like the way you're talking to me."

"Then do you want me to talk in English? German? Spanish? Your choice."

"Don't get huffy with me and your ten thousand foreign languages! How did you learn all of those anyway?!"

"I took language classes on my summer vacations and weekends when I was younger. I re-read the texts to refresh my memory. So far I've accomplished English, Spanish, German, and French. I'm working on Italian right now and Portuguese."

Ami made a face. "You think you're so smart just because you can translate…"

"You can too if you weren't so lazy and obsessed with material objects and your appearance. Now do you want to help or not?"

"Fine. Just hurry up."

"Well most of the jobs are taken already…so you're gonna have to dust off the Halloween props. They're over there." Kimiko pointed with her pencil to a mound of decorations in the corner.

"But I'll get full of dust! And there might be spiders! Eww!"

"Oh, that's right!" began Kimiko in a mocking tone. "You're gonna break your fine nails and get your expensive designer clothes all messy huh? Aww, poor baby. Well, tough luck. You wanted to help, so now you're gonna help."

"Kawasaki…you little…"

"Now if you don't mind, I would like to continue on with my job." Kimiko walked away and made sure everyone else was doing their jobs. Some of the volunteers snickered at what the girl had said to Ami.

"Fine. If Kimiko is going to act like that with me…well…I think it's time I played a small trick on her next week…nobody talks to me like that and gets away with it…"

--

After a few more days, it was Friday, and the school was getting really excited about the dance. Everyone was talking about it in the lunch period.

"We haven't been able to go inside the gym for P.E. for a week" said Orihime. "But I'm sure it's gonna look wonderful! Tonight is the big night!"

"Yeah, Kimiko did a really awesome job managing the whole thing." Tatsuki looked sympathetic. "I just wish she'd go to the dance…"

"Is there a costume contest?" asked Matsumoto.

"Well yes. There's the individual contest where one person can enter and the multiple contest where a pair or more can enter."

"Oh I think I'll enter then!" said the big chested woman. "Taichou and I have the cutest costume!"

Toushirou grew a vein. "I only decided on it because you wouldn't stop complaining!"

"But it's a cute costume! Right Orihime-chan?"

"Yes! It's really adorable! I hope my costume is as cute as yours!" Orihime turned to Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji. "What are you guys gonna come as?"

"I want it to be a surprise," Rukia said. "I think it'll be more fun if we all didn't say what we're coming as."

"Oh that's true! Well yeah! I guess I'll have to wait until tonight to find out."

"Say, where's Kim?" asked Ichigo. This question was directed more towards Renji.

"Hmm? Oh she went to have a meeting with the student council. They wanted to see the gym."

"I see."

The bell rang at it was time for everyone to go back to their classes.

--

Finally, it was after school. The students rushed home to get ready for the dance. Some of their costumes would take a lot of preparation and they wanted to win the contest.

"So," said Renji to Kimiko as they were walking home. "You're not going?"

"No…I already told you…I'm going to the dance to make sure everything is in order, and then I'm gonna sit behind the curtain and read."

"Why is there a curtain in the gym anyway?"

"For a while we used it as an auditorium, but then we were able to make the actual place bigger, so now the gym is back to what it was created for: exercising. But the school decided to leave the pedestal and curtain there."

"I see."

"So anyways, what did my brothers end up buying for you?"

"Eh…a pirate costume. I really don't care what I go as."

Kimiko smiled at him. "Well I think a pirate costume really suits you Renji."

"You think so?"

"Yup."

Kimiko took out the keys again to her apartment and opened the door. The twins were already inside the house along with Kiki and Nova.

"Guess what Kim?" said Kiki. "I'm gonna go trick or treating too!"

"Oh no you're not. You're going to the dance!"

"Aww…"

"I don't want you with my brothers on Halloween! I don't trust you!"

"You're mean…"

Hiroshi and Keitaro finished up their homework. When they were done, they put it away and went to their rooms.

"Do you guys need help with your costumes?" asked Kimiko.

"No nee-chan, we're fine. But…we might need help with the face paint…"

"Alright. Tell me when you're ready."

"Kay!"

"So when does the dance start?" asked Kiki. "I wanna know so I can get into my costume!"

"What are you gonna be?"

"You'll see."

"Eh…well, the dance starts at seven, so you should probably leave like at six forty five or something."

"Are you gonna go?"

"I'm going, but not in costume. I'm just gonna wear something with Halloweenish colors."

Kiki sighed. "Yeah…whatever…"

--

After the twins put on their costume, Kimiko helped them with the face paint. The brothers decided to be the villainous characters from the shounen manga since they didn't want to give other people wrong ideas if they were the twins from the shoujo manga.

Keitaro was to be the villain that looked like a skeleton with the large scythe, while Hiroshi was the zombie looking one. Keitaro's face paint was harder because he had to be all black with white to make it look like bones somewhat. Luckily Kiki knew how to do these types of things.

After making sure the paint was dry, Kimiko ushered the brothers out of the bathroom into the living room. The other members of the house were already in costume.

"So what do you guys think?" said the twins.

"You two look evil yet adorable!" squealed Kiki. She had dressed up as a geisha.

Nova nodded. He of course, was a ninja, a different outfit from his normal clothes.

"Nice," said Renji.

"Ok nee-chan!" the twins began. "We're gonna go trick or treating!"

"Alright, have fun." She gave them a kiss on their heads and they went off with their pumpkin buckets.

"So are we ready to partay?" Kiki said excitedly, shooting her arms up in the air.

"No Kiki, it's just a dance," Kimiko said plainly. "There isn't going to be a wild party. And what kind of geisha has colored streaks in her hair?"

"Hey, I like to be different."

"Obviously…" The girl took the keys from her pocket and ushered her friends out of the apartment. Then she locked the door and they were on their way.

--

Kiki gazed at the gym. She could already see lights from inside the doors. "Oh! I can't wait! Come on Nova!" She grabbed his hand and dashed in.

Renji chuckled. "Well, she certainly likes this kind of stuff."

"That's why she's my opposite…"

Kimiko and Renji walked inside the gym. They looked for their friends and found a head of bright orange hair in the crowd. They knew that was Ichigo.

"Hey guys," said Kimiko as she walked towards them. They all had costumes on.

"Hey Kim," Ichigo replied with a smile. "Glad you came, but where's your costume?"

"I'm not gonna participate in all the events. Kiki's here for that. But I feel sorry for Nova since she dragged him all the way over here…"

"Ah."

"Besides, I like my outfit." She was wearing a long sleeved black shirt with a cute ghost on it and her capri pants were orange with a black cat print at the bottom corner. She had a necklace with a bat on it and a cute backpack (again Kiki made her wear this) that was in the shape of a chibi spider. She had a hairclip that had a chibi skull on it. "Well…as far as spooky outfits go anyway."

She smiled at everyone else. "Wow, you guys look great."

Renji of course, was wearing a pirate costume (and Kiki had secretly picked it out for him because it complimented his muscles) although he didn't really want to wear a costume in the first place.

Ichigo was a vampire since he really didn't know what else to be. Rukia was a vampire too, yet she still looked cute. Orihime was a princess (and the costume complimented her chest, as some of the boys in the room noticed) and Ishida had dressed up as a mad scientist since Ichigo commented he'd look great as one. He had the face for it or something. Chad was a werewolf, Ikaku was a samurai (and he was even able to get Keigo's sister to make one that looked like a shinigami outfit), Yumichika was…well, Kimiko didn't know what he was to be honest. Probably a prince. She couldn't really tell. Tatsuki came in just her karate uniform since she didn't have an idea, and Keigo…well…he unintentionally dressed up as a clown for some reason.

"Hmm? Where's Matsumoto and Toushirou-kun?"

Orihime giggled. "Oh Toushirou-kun is trying to hide behind that post over there because he doesn't like his costume. Matsumoto-san made him wear a duo outfit with her for the costume contest."

Matsumoto saw Kimiko and Renji with the other friends. "Oh Kimiko-chan is here! Hmm…she's not wearing a costume, but she still looks cute nonetheless. Come on taichou, let's go say hi!"

"I am NOT moving from this spot!"

"But so many girls think your costume is adorable!"

"Because girls love animals!"

Matsumoto pouted and tugged Toushirou from behind the post. She dragged him over to the friends. "Hello Renji! Hey Kimiko-chan!"

"Oh Matsumoto-san!" said Kimiko with a smile. "Your costume is very original. Are you supposed to be somebody from a fairytale?"

"Actually, from a nursery rhyme! I'm Little Bo Peep! And just look at taichou!"

Kimiko looked down at the small captain. She smiled and awed at what he was dressed up as. Toushirou was wearing a lamb costume. It was really fluffy and he had lamb ears on his head, a bow around his neck, and a bell. His feet and hands were hooves too. He was very pissed off about his costume, but Matsumoto thought it was adorable.

"Oh Toushirou-kun, you're so cute!" said Kimiko. She bent down to hug him, nuzzling her head against his. Kimiko loved animals and cute things. The little captain blushed faintly.

Renji tried not to laugh. "Um…Hitsugaya-taichou…um…did you agree to this?"

"No I did not! I had to constantly explain to Matsumoto that I didn't want to wear this! But she wouldn't give up!" He crossed his arms and glared at his assistant.

"Oh but taichou!" whined Matsumoto. "You look so adorable!" She picked him up and hugged him, her large chest suffocating him again. A vein could be seen on his head.

"Well," began Kimiko. "I'm gonna go make sure everything is ok with the food and stuff. You guys enjoy yourself." She began to walk over to the food table. There were a lot of sweets Halloween themed as well as different kinds of foods.

"This looks ok." She checked all of the decorations and the area where the teens could take pictures with the spooky backdrop. Some of them were already taking it.

She smiled. "Well, I guess now I just sit behind the curtain and wait." She walked up the pedestal stairs and behind the curtain. She found a chair and sat down, taking out a book from her spider backpack. She began to read, even though there was loud music playing.

If she couldn't have fun, then at least her friends were able to.

--

A while had passed and some of the food on the tables were gone. A lot of the kids were dancing and enjoying themselves, mostly Kiki. Nova tried to stay out of the way.

"Rukia," Orihime said. "Wanna go dance?"

She smiled. "Ok. Ichigo is just standing there anyway."

He gave her a look. "I told you I don't like dancing."

Rukia shook her head at him and walked with Orihime towards the dance floor. Tatsuki went along too, and Matsumoto dragged Toushirou towards the photo booth.

Ichigo and the other guys basically stayed sitting down or standing. They didn't know how to dance, and even if they did, they didn't want to.

"Man I'm bored…"

"Then why'd you even come Renji?"

"Kiki made me come…and Kim was gonna come anyway."

"Ah, so you only do things if Kim does them too."

"Shut up Ichigo." Renji sighed. "But I'm worried about Kim. I mean, she doesn't like to have this kind of fun…she could of at least stayed out here and talked to me or something…"

"Aww," said Keigo. "Does Renji have a little crush on Kimi-chan?" The next thing he knew, a fist connected with his face. Again. "Ow!"

"Shut up."

"Waaah! You're not supposed to hit clowns!"

"I don't like clowns. And besides, you look ridiculous…"

"Hey it was a last minute costume! And my sister didn't want me to go buy one so she made me one…"

Renji laughed and Ichigo tried to suppress a chortle.

--

Ami crept up to the pedestal and peeked behind the curtain to see Kimiko reading a book. She was in deep concentration, trying to block out the music since she forgot the earmuffs.

The blonde smiled deviously. "Hmm. Well, it looks like it's time for the costume contest." She walked out from behind the curtain and picked up the mike from the stand.

"Ahem."

To the audience, this would mean that they need to be quiet so she could talk. But to her group of friends, this meant 'Get the plan in action'. They walked secretly behind the pedestal towards Kimiko.

"Ah, so there you are Kawasaki."

"What do you girls want?"

"Didn't come with a costume?"

"No."

"Don't plan on entering in any contests?"

"Look." She closed her book. "I only came here to make sure everything was in check."

"Well that's not good enough anymore. You come to this dance, and you're gonna participate."

They were holding various cosmetics in their hands. Kimiko became alert, but she didn't want to cause trouble. They were pathetic weaklings after all.

--

"Welcome Karakura High to this year's Halloween dance! Now, I hope you've all had your refreshments and snacks because it's time for the Halloween Costume Contest!"

Matsumoto beamed and tugged Toushirou by his leash (yes she actually made one for him). "Oh taichou! I submitted our names into the contest!"

"What?! I thought you were kidding!"

"No I wasn't! Now come on!"

"Matsumoto…"

Ami took out a list from her pocket. She was dressed up as a fairy, but it was somewhat revealing. "Now then, these are the people who submitted their names for the costume contest." She began to read out the names and surprisingly, Renji heard his name.

"Abarai Renji for the individual contest."

"Huh?" He looked towards the pedestal. "I didn't submit my name in…"

"Go on Renji," Ichigo said.

"Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia for the duo contest."

Renji smirked mockingly at Ichigo. "Go on Ichigo."

"What the hell?! I didn't submit my name in!"

Rukia walked over to him. "Come on Ichigo!"

"Rukia! Did you submit our names?!"

"Oh yes! Your dad said we should enter in that contest! So I decided to try it!"

"I'm gonna kill that man…"

"Matsumoto Rangiku and Hitsugaya Toushirou for the duo contest."

The large chested woman squealed. "That's us taichou! Come on!"

"No!" He was holding on to one of the bleachers. "Matsumoto, I'm not going!"

"Taichou, no matter how many times you say you aren't, you're acting like a little kid! Now come on!" She grabbed him and carried him over to the pedestal.

A few more names were called and everyone who entered was waiting on the stairs of the pedestal.

"But," said Ami. "Before we begin, I'd like to thank you all for coming, and I would also like to thank, a special girl for helping us put this whole thing together. Kawasaki Kimiko!"

The girls behind the curtain pushed Kimiko out onto the stage and all eyes were on her. The room became quiet and she looked at the audience down below. She saw some people smiling and others looked like they were about to laugh.

"What's so funny?!"

"And this is our winner for our overall costume contest!" said Ami. Kimiko looked at her.

"But I didn't come in a costume!"

"Um…Kim?" said Kiki. She was right in front.

"What?"

She took out a hand mirror from her sleeve. "Look." Kimiko looked into the mirror and saw that her face was smeared with makeup. It made her look ridiculous.

"Th-This…this makeup is too thick!" She shot a death glare at Ami. "You…"

"And here you go Kawasaki!" Ami handed her a trophy. "You're the winner of the contest!"

"I don't even have a costume you idiot!"

"Of course you do! You have the most original costume! Yourself!"

That humorous remark made the audience laugh, but not Kimiko's friends or the Mod Souls.

"Kim?" Renji pushed his way up the stairs and looked at Kimiko. The girl felt extremely embarrassed, and for the first time, she wanted to cry because of it. The girl noticed Ami's evil smirk.

"Trick or treat Kawasaki."

"See?!" Kimiko shouted towards the audience. "This is why I don't like coming to these things! They're so stupid!" She bent the trophy out of all the anger and slammed it on the ground. It made a loud clunk and the audience was startled. Kimiko stormed out of the gym and slammed the doors open. She walked out into the night towards her house.

Ami continued to giggle. "All joking aside, the real judging hasn't been done yet. Now, contestants, please come up on stage so the others can vote."

Matsumoto frowned. "Taichou…I feel so bad for Kimiko-chan…"

"I suppose this is why she secludes herself from the rest of the school…and why she's the way she is…" He looked somewhat down. "Kimiko picks fights with bullies because they're being mean to other students…but that's because she knows what it's like to be bullied herself…"

--

Kimiko rushed past the trick or treaters until she got to her apartment building. She hurried up the stairs and unlocked the door. She was surprised to find her brothers packing. They were gonna spend the night at their friend's house.

"Oh hello--" but they noticed that their big sister looked angry and saddened. "Nee-chan?"

She threw her shoes off and ran towards her room, slamming the door behind her. She flopped down on her bed and sobbed.

"This is why I don't go to dances…I'll just end up being the laughing stock of the whole thing…" The tears rolling down her cheeks smeared the makeup on her face. Her eyes were blinded by them.

There was a soft knock on the door. "Nee-chan?"

She didn't answer. Hiroshi and Keitaro looked at each other worriedly as they heard their sister's sobs.

"Hiroshi?"

"Yes Keitaro?"

"Do you think…nee-chan was picked on again…?"

"Maybe…that's why she didn't like going to those school things anyway…"

"High school sounds like it sucks…"

"I guess it all depends on how people look at you…that probably determines how they'll treat you…"

"But that's not fair…"

"Life is never fair Keitaro…"

The twins got their bags and began to walk out the door. But then they went back towards Kimiko's room and knocked on the door.

"Nee-chan?" they said together. But all they heard were sobs and sniffs.

"We know…that something might have happened at your dance…"

"But…all your friends are over there…and you're not enjoying yourself…

"Nee-chan…it makes us sad if you don't go and have fun when we're having fun…"

"So…we're gonna stay here until you decide to go back to your school."

They heard the knob turn and Kimiko came out, her eyes red from crying. But she wiped the tears away and managed a smile. "I love you guys."

She bent down and hugged them, the twins hugging her back. Kimiko loved her identical brothers, even if they did cause some trouble. But they were really sweet and compassionate when it came to people they cared about.

"Now, you guys go on ahead to your friend's house."

"But nee-chan…"

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine…really."

"Well…well ok…"

Hiroshi and Keitaro got their bags again and began to head out the door. Kimiko gave them some money in case of an emergency. She kissed them on the head and they went on their way.

After closing the door, she changed into pajamas, which were again, a tank with short shorts. She didn't want to go back to the dance. She wasn't going to get humiliated again.

Sadly, she sat down on the couch and turned on the TV to see the evening news. As she watched the anchorman talk, she began to reminisce about what happened earlier at the dance. It mad her saddened even more to think about the humiliation she had to endure back there, and she felt horrible when her friends saw her like that, especially Renji.

Kimiko wasn't a girl who usually cries, but one can only go so far. "What's wrong with me? What is it that makes Ami hate me? Sure I can be aggressive, but I would never hurt anybody who didn't deserve it."

Then, she began to think about her appearance. She knew she wasn't the prettiest in the world, and she knew for a fact everybody else thought Ami was the most attractive girl in school, so then why was Kimiko tormented? Sometimes, Kimiko wanted to be prettier, to see if that would ever make a difference.

She picked up a magazine Kiki had been reading. It had beautiful girls in seductive Halloween costumes. "They all have nice figures…and curves…they probably weigh like thirty pounds or something…" Kimiko thought of the other girls at the dance. They all either looked beautiful or cute in their costumes.

"And me…with my un-curved body…I'd never wear anything that let my figure be visible…I don't have one in the first place…"

Ever since Kimiko started this year of school, she had started to become more conscious of the other girl's looks, and also her own. But she didn't do anything about it.

What really hurt her, she supposed, was that Ami's lackeys only magnified Kimiko's unattractiveness with that thick make up. Slowly, tears began to form in her eyes. "Don't cry…don't…don't cry…" But she could hear her voice breaking. She sobbed and covered her face with her hands.

--

A red portal appeared in front of Kimiko's door and out stepped Kiki and Nova. They had come to comfort her while the rest stood at the school.

"I hope Kim's alright…" Kiki said. She opened the door and stepped inside. Nova followed suit and they both found Kimiko watching TV and wiping her eyes.

"Kim?"

The girl turned to find Kiki and Nova looking at her.

"Oh…hi guys…"

"Why'd you run back home?" She sat down on the other couch, and Nova sat down right beside her.

"I told you…I don't like going to those kinds of things…they're stupid."

"That's not true. I can see it in your face. You really wanted to go to that dance didn't you?"

"No…"

"Stop lying Kimiko. I don't like liars."

"I don't want to go…"

"Kim, you're really getting on my nerves with your stubborn attitude!"

The girl became defensive. "Do you want to know why I didn't want to go?! Do you!?"

Her sudden outburst caused Kiki and Nova to become startled.

"The reason why is because I wouldn't fit in!" She was angry. "I've never fitted in with anybody in the school! I'm in a category all on my own: outcast!" She looked at her lap. "I'm not good enough to be in any of the groups at school…and…" Tears began to form again. "The more I look at the girls…the more I become self conscious of my looks…I see them and realize…that's why I don't belong. I don't look like them…I don't act like them…that's why I don't have a boyfriend…I'm not pretty enough…I'm not delicate enough…" The tears began to fall and her voice began to break. "I look at all those beautiful models in the magazines who probably are being deprived of nutrition…and I realize, I shouldn't be sad over something like that. But I can't help it…I was never the pretty or cute one when I was little…I was always the bystander…always a bride's maid but never the bride…the girls at school have curves and they walk a certain way that attracts attention of the guys…but not me…I'm average…I'm…I was never beautiful…and now that I'm getting older…I just…I just…"

She stopped talking and began to cry silently. "I'm just ugly and that's all there is to it…"

Kiki wondered what kind of alien abducted Kimiko and replaced her with this low self-esteemed and self conscious girl. But the Mod Soul knew perfectly well what was wrong with her. She was starting to enter the world of teenagedom, and you become more conscious with other things instead of playing with toy cars or dolls. She was becoming a young lady who is still developing her emotions.

"Kimiko…"

The girl looked up at her. "Yes…?"

"I'm gonna make you your costume."

"What?"

Kiki got up and began to search around the house. "Hmm…I could make use of some of these. Don't worry Kim. When I'm done with you, you'll be gorgeous. It won't be the best costume, but you'll be one of the attention attractors."

The girl didn't know what Kiki was talking about, but if she knew what she was doing, then she had no right to stop her.

--

Tatsuki glared at Ami who continued to talk with her friends and the many other people who admired her beauty.

"What's wrong Tatsuki-chan?" asked Orihime.

"That Ami…what a bitch…hurting Kim like that…she knows more than anyone that Kim doesn't have a lot of self esteem…"

"What are you talking about?" asked Ichigo.

"It's nothing…"

Renji was sitting down, his mind spaced out. He kept remembering the image of Kimiko's painted face up on that stage, embarrassment and anger mixed with sadness in her expression. And when she looked at him, her eyes were filled with horror and shame. He couldn't get the laughing out of his head from when the student body looked at her. What was wrong with her? That was something he wanted to know. Nothing was wrong with her, so why was she treated this way? These thoughts kept racing back and forth in his mind.

"You look stressed Renji," Ichigo told him.

"Huh? Oh…no, I'm just…thinking. That's all."

"It's about what happened earlier to Kim isn't it?"

"Ichigo, you've been at this school longer than I have. Has she done anything to make students hate her?"

"Well…I never really knew her back then to be honest. Actually, I didn't even know half of my classmates. So I really don't know what to tell you Renji…"

The redhead just sighed and stared at the ceiling.

--

"I'm not going in there…"

"Come on Kim! I made the costume especially for you!"

"Yeah but you had help. Yuroichi-san helped you and so did Ririn! So it doesn't count!"

"Well then do you want all of their work to be for nothing? Come on! There's only an hour left of the dance!"

Kimiko sighed and gave in. "Alright…"

"You'll be gorgeous. I promise."

Kiki and Nova opened the doors and in stepped Kimiko. She was very conscious right now of her looks and she just wanted to crawl under a rock and stay there. She looked at the floor as she tried to walk towards a chair, but she was catching attention from a lot of people, mostly because of the huge wings on her back.

Tatsuki looked towards the door and saw Kimiko there, looking embarrassed and lost. The girl smiled brightly and walked over to her.

"Wow Kim, you look great!"

"Oh…thanks…"

"Come on, let's go with the others."

"N-No! I don't want them to see me!"

"But you look awesome!" She grabbed her wrist. "Have some fun once in a while." Kimiko was dragged towards the rest of her friends.

"Look guys," said Tatsuki happily. "Kimiko came back. Check out her awesome costume."

Her friends looked at the girl, but she avoided all eye contact and stared at the ground.

Her costume was all white, which was why it was noticeable. She was wearing a simple dress that went up to her knees and had thin straps supporting it by her shoulders. Unknown to her, this simple dress was showing the curves she did have, even though she thought she didn't have any. She had been wearing white sandals and on her back, were two huge feathery wings. Above her head and supported from the back was a golden halo that sparkled in the light. Her dark hair was down and it was curled at the ends. She had a necklace with a star on it and she was wearing pink lipstick, something Kiki really liked on her.

"Kimiko-san!" said Orihime. "You look so beautiful! You dressed up as an angel!"

"It was all Kiki's idea…I had nothing to do with it."

"You shouldn't be ashamed," Rukia said. "You look really authentic!"

"Oh Kimiko-chan!" Matsumoto shrieked. "You're so cute! And I love those feathery wings!"

Ichigo just smiled at her and Renji stared. He was surprised on how good she looked in that dress. She definitely didn't look like that in her school uniform. Maybe because it wasn't as tight as the dress…

Toushirou smiled. "Kimiko, I'm glad to see you've cheered up."

"Well…I still don't like how I look…"

"Guess what?!" Kiki shouted as she came running towards them. "I submitted your name for the costume contest Kim!"

"What?!"

"At first they said it was a little late, but when I pointed you out, they put it in!"

"I doubt I'm gonna win. Nobody saw my costume."

"Are you kidding? When you came in, everybody was looking at you!"

"May I have your attention please," said the student body president into the mike.

"Please…please don't let him say it's time for the winners of the contest…" Kimiko hoped to herself.

"It's now time for the results of the contest!"

Kimiko smacked herself on her forehead. "Damn!"

Everyone in the room began to walk towards the pedestal. The president began to take out a clipboard, with the results on it.

"First we shall start with the multiple contest." He read out the name of the third place winners who dressed up as Frankenstein and his bride. "In second place, is Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia for their wonderful vampire costumes!"

"That's us!" Rukia said happily. "Come on!"

"I'm going I'm going…"

The two walked up to the stage and received their trophy.

"And the winners of the overall multiple contest, is….Matsumoto Rangiku and Hitsugaya Toushirou for their adorable Little Bo Peep display!"

"Yaaaaay!" cried Matsumoto. She dragged Toushirou towards the stage and claimed their prize. "Taichou we won! See? This was a great idea!"

Toushirou looked down at the crowd of shrieking girls when they saw him in his lamb costume. "This was the worst idea ever…"

"Now for the individual contest." He flipped a page from his clipboard. "The third place winner is Abarai Renji for his pirate costume and arm tattoos."

"Why the hell did he have to mention my tattoos?!" Renji grumbled as he loathingly took his prize. Girls gazed up at him and he looked annoyed.

"Second place is Tsukamoto Ami for her fairy costume!"

"HUH?! I'm in _second_ place?!" shrieked Ami. She walked up to the president. "How can I be in second place?!"

"Don't ask me. Ask the voters. Geez." He looked at his list and smiled. "And the winner for the individual contest is…the angel of this monster mash, Kawasaki Kimiko!"

The girl was awestruck. She had never won something like this before. "I…I won?"

"Yay Kim!" Kiki shouted as she hugged her. "See? You're beautiful! So stop saying you aren't! Now go get that trophy!"

Kimiko walked timidly up to the stage and smiled sheepishly as the president gave her the first place trophy.

"Well, that concludes this year's Costume Contest! The remaining part of the night will be continued with dancing. Happy Halloween everyone!"

The winners descended the stage and back onto the floor. Rukia was very happy that she won and Matsumoto was even happier. She wouldn't let go of her little captain ever since they received first place.

Kimiko sat down on a chair and looked at her trophy. She saw her reflection in it. In the reflection, there was an unknown girl she had never seen before. It was her, but she never remembered looking like that. For once, she was actually beautiful.

"Hey."

She looked up and saw Renji.

"Hey."

"Congratulations winning first place."

"Thanks…did you want first place?"

Renji laughed. "I could care less if I won or not! I don't care about contests like that. But…" He looked embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "You deserved it…you…you look really pretty…"

Kimiko blushed. "Thank you…"

The dancing song became calmer. Kiki beamed. "A slow song! Come on Nova, let's go!"

"Um…" He zipped up his mask again. Kiki giggled and brought him over to the dance floor.

Renji saw from the corner of his eye that Ichigo and Rukia had went over there too, as well as the rest of his friends. Even Keigo attempted to get somebody to dance with him. But of course this didn't necessarily mean he was gonna get a partner.

"Kim?"

"Yes?"

"Do you…do you wanna dance?"

She had never been asked this before. And she could tell he wasn't lying, because he looked shy.

"Um…ok…"

The two of them walked over to the dance floor and everything was much calmer now. People were dancing slowly with one another, and the couples looked very delighted.

"So…" began Renji. "How exactly…do you do this?"

"Um…well…you have to hold me by my waist, and I have to hold on to your shoulders…and just…dance like everybody else…"

"Oh…ok…"

They got into position, but when they did, blushes crept over their faces. When she felt his hands on her waist, it felt like electric currents going through her body. Her face became even redder. Slowly it subsided, and the two began to relax.

They just danced like everybody else, but avoided each other's eyes. Kimiko felt very content, but she didn't know how to explain it. She slowly rested her head on his chest, and refrained from looking up at him. Renji was feeling very uneasy at the moment, but he didn't want to disturb Kimiko.

They stopped dancing, but just stood there. He slowly moved his hand to the small of her back for more support. She blushed when she felt the contact since the dress didn't have anything under except her undergarments. But she fit perfectly in his arms and she didn't want to move. She looked up at him, her large amber eyes gazing at him. He felt another blush creep over his cheeks as he looked into them. The two stayed like that for a while, not saying anything, but just looking at each other.

"Renji…"

"Yes?"

"Thank you…"

"For what?"

"For…not laughing at me a while back…"

"There really wasn't anything to laugh at. I mean, yeah, it was funny for like two seconds, but then it was just mean. It didn't look that funny to me. But whoever was your makeup artist really needs to get fired. They did a horrible job back there."

Kimiko giggled. "That makes me feel better."

Renji smiled. "No problem."

The girl rested her head again on him and closed her eyes. He noticed streaks of tears running down her face, but she was smiling, and perhaps those tears were of relief and happiness rather than sadness. His other hand moved to her head, stroking her hair to calm her.

At that moment, he realized something important. Kimiko didn't just need to be protected by Hollows, but she also needed to be protected from the evils of teenagers. He had grown attached to her, much like Rukia to Ichigo. He was going to protect this girl, because deep down, he felt a strong emotion towards her that he couldn't explain.

_I'll protect you Kim…I promise…_

--

The next morning, Hiroshi and Keitaro walked back to their apartment. Kimiko had given them the spare key in situations like these. They unlocked the door and stepped inside.

When they reached the livingroom, they saw Kiki and Nova back in their plushie forms, sleeping on a pillow on the ground, and Kimiko and Renji were asleep on the couch. The twin brothers smiled when they saw them. The redhead had his arm around her mid section and she slept peacefully next to him.

"Keitaro."

"Yeah Hiroshi?"

"You think…he might be the one?"

The younger twin smiled. "Maybe. Not unlike that other jerk."

"True. I hope nee-chan finds happiness with him. I don't like her to be sad."

"Me either."

The twins walked to their room and closed the door.

"But since nee-chan isn't awake right now…"

"…we can still have a few candies before lunch…"

And the twins did exactly just that.

**If you can guess the two costume choices the twins were given in class, I'll bake you a pie. :D Reviews would be appreciated.**


	12. Remorse

**M'kay. Well, this chapter isn't as long as my usual ones. At least...I don't think it is. xDDD So here you go. I also started a new story, WHICH I HATE MYSELF FOR BECAUSE I PROMISED I WOULDN'T CREATE A NEW STORY UNTIL ONE OF MY OLDER ONES WAS FINISHED. So it's a Fruits Basket story...and if any of you feel like reading a crappy first attempt at writing a fanfic about a shoujo...then be my guest. Please.**

Remorse

Kimiko felt a little bit more confident with herself since she won that prize at the Halloween contest. But that still did not stop her from thinking she was inferior appearance wise to other girls.

The days passed, and it was the beginning of November. All day the girl had been gloomy, and her friends wondered why. When they asked her about it, she said nothing and said that they didn't need to worry.

The bell rang, signaling it was time to go home. Kimiko went to her locker and Renji followed her.

"So what's wrong?"

"Nothing…"

"Kim…you've been quiet all day. How can you say nothing is wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. Honest."

He made a face at her and he could tell she was lying. But if she didn't want to tell him what her problems were, then he decided not to interfere.

As they walked home, Renji asked "So why are you in such a hurry to get home?"

Kim stood quiet for a moment and then said "Because…today is a special day…in a sense…"

"It is?" He looked a little lost. "Is it…a holiday I don't know about?"

"No…it's not." They reached the apartment complex and Kimiko walked up the stairs, taking out the keys from her bookbag. She unlocked the door and found her brothers already inside. Kiki and Nova, in their plushie forms, walked up to them.

"Kim! Renji! You're back!" Kiki said happily.

"How was your day?" asked Nova.

"Oh it was ok…" Kimiko looked at her brothers. "Are you guys done with your homework?"

"Yes nee-chan," they said. "We'll go get ready now."

Renji was just itching to know what was wrong as Kimiko walked to her room.

"Why is she not telling me what's going on?!"

"You mean you don't know?"

He looked down at Kiki. "No…I don't."

Nova responded. "Today is the day that Kimiko's parents passed away."

Renji stood quiet for a moment. "It…is?"

"Yes. The twins told us about it. Every day on this day, they go to the cemetery to visit their parents."

The redhead put down his school bag on the table and sat on the couch. He didn't know that today was the day Kimiko's parents had died. But why didn't she tell him? Maybe because it was too depressing to talk about, or maybe she just didn't want to think about it a lot. Still, he wished she'd tell him the things that were bothering her.

When Kim came out of her room, she was wearing a knee-long skirt and a long sleeved shirt with a vest. She had on long socks too.

"So…wanna tell me what's wrong?"

Kim looked at Renji. "This…day today…is the day when my mom and dad died."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I didn't want you fretting over me Renji."

"Ok, but I still would like to know, otherwise I'd fret more."

"Sorry…"

"You probably didn't want to think about it huh?"

"Yeah…"

He got up from the couch. "That's alright. So, you're leaving right now?"

"Yes."

"Mind if I come along?"

"Oh." She looked at him curiously. "Well, no. But why would you want to come to a gloomy place like the cemetery?"

"I want to accompany you and your brothers."

"Wait!" shouted Kiki. "I want to come too!" Nova nodded.

"Well alright, but you need to stay in your plushie forms."

Renji went to the bathroom to go change into something warmer and Kim began to wrap a scarf around her neck. Then she put on her boots and grabbed her purse. Her brothers came out of their room and were wearing warm clothing as well.

"Nee-chan, we're ready."

"Ok. We're just waiting for Renji."

The redhead came out of the bathroom quickly. He wore warm clothing too: pants and a long sleeved shirt with a jacket over it, and a scarf. "So, do you want to get going?"

"Yeah."

He put on his shoes and then picked up Kiki and Nova from the floor. The fox wanted to travel with Renji, so Kim took Nova and placed him in her purse, his cute turtle head sticking out. She locked the door behind them.

"Alright, let's go visit mom and dad."

--

As they walked to the cemetery, they stopped by a flower shop. Renji knew they were going to get flowers for her parents. When Kim and her brothers chose the bunch that they liked, the girl walked over to the register.

"Oh, Kimi-chan," said the lady. "You're visiting your parents again, aren't you?"

"Yes…"

"Well, when you get there, give them my respects."

"I will. Thank you."

Kim was about to take out her money, when Renji said "It's alright Kim, I'll handle it."

She looked at him a little surprised. "Renji, you don't have to."

"But I want to." He took out his wallet from his pocket. "It's the least I could do." He paid the lady before Kimiko had time to object.

The woman smiled. "You're such a nice young man. Are you Kimi-chan's boyfriend?"

The girl blushed and said "Oh n-no! He's just a very good friend of mine."

"Well, alright. Thank you for stopping by."

--

The small group walked inside the cemetery's gates. Renji had been to a cemetery only once, and coming again made him feel awkward. The trees had orange and red leaves that fluttered in the wind whenever there was a breeze.

They walked a little farther in to the cemetery, and finally they reached the tombstone of Kimiko's parents. Renji read what it said.

"In loving memory, Kawasaki Ryo and Kyoko."

"Those are my parent's names…Ryo was my father and Kyoko was my mother…"

She squatted down and placed the flowers on the grave. "They thought it would be best if my mom and dad were buried right next to each other."

"Who's they?"

"My aunt and uncle."

Hiroshi and Keitaro squatted down too. Kiki jumped off of Renji's shoulder and Nova crawled out of Kimiko's purse. They walked up to the grave, and Kiki became sad.

"Oh…how horrible…" she began to say. "Kim…I feel so sad."

"Why?"

"Because your parents passed away."

"It's alright."

"How…did they die?"

"Well…" She looked at the ground, deep in thought. "They were in a car accident…"

"…and we were in it," finished the twins. Kiki and Nova looked at them. Renji was astonished.

"So…you guys were there when your parents died?" he asked.

"Yes…it was about six years ago…I had just turned ten and my brothers were merely five years old…"

_Flashback_

_It was a dark and rainy night. The Kawasaki family was returning home from a family outing._

"_Hey mom," said a young Kimiko. "When can we go to the country side again? Keitaro and Hiroshi really loved those horses!"_

"_Pony!" said both of the boys. They were bundled up really good, as was their sister._

_Kyoko smiled. "Hmm. We'll see alright. Whenever your dad gets time off from work."_

"_Right," said Ryo as he drove. "Next time we'll take you guys to the zoo."_

_Kim's face lit up. She loved the zoo. "Oh! Ok! I can't wait to see the pandas!"_

"_Yeah! And elpants!" the boys tried to say. _

_Kyoko laughed. "It's ele-phants you two. You forgot to say it with the 'f' sound and the 'eh' but good try."_

_Kimiko smiled. She really loved her family a lot and was so happy that they got to spend quality time together. Her brothers held on to each of her hands since she was sitting right between them._

_Kyoko loved her children. She thought they were so adorable, especially in those Christmas photos. She turned back to face the road._

_Kimiko looked out the window since she didn't have anything to do. It's really dark outside and really wet._

_She turned to face the front window, when her eyes widened. There was something in the middle of the road, and it was huge. She became frightened when they approached it._

"_Daddy! Stop the car!"_

"_What's wrong Kimi-chan?"_

"_There's a monster up ahead!"_

_Ryo looked through the window. "I don't see anything."_

"_B-But it's right there!" She pointed with her finger. Kyoko gave her an amused face._

"_Kimi-chan, there's nothing there. And monsters don't exist, so you don't have to worry alri--"_

_The car crashed into something, but Ryo kept driving. "What the hell was that?!"_

"_Ryo, did you crash into a person?!"_

"_No I didn't! There was nobody there!"_

_The car gave another thud, but Kimiko's parents didn't see anything. Then the small girl saw that same monster jump in the front of the road and it charged at the car. She screamed really loud and when she did, the monster swung it's arm at the car, sending it rolling on to the side. Kimiko held on to her brothers as best as she could, but then blacked out._

_--_

_When she opened her eyes, Kimiko found herself in a room. A nurse was right next to her. "Oh thank goodness you're awake!"_

_Kimiko bolted right up. "Hiroshi! Keitaro! Mommy, daddy!"_

"_Calm down please!"_

"_Where are they?!" Her body was aching. The door opened and in stepped her aunt and uncle. _

"_Oh Kimiko!" said her aunt as she ran to her niece. She embraced her. "Thank goodness you're ok!"_

"_Auntie, where's mommy and daddy?! And where's Hiroshi and Keitaro?!"_

"_Your brothers are fine dear."_

"_I want to see!"_

_Her aunt turned to the nurse and the young woman said "Kawasaki-chan seems to be ok for the most part, so she may go see her siblings."_

_Kimiko rushed out of bed without hesitation and ran through the hallway, her aunt and uncle trying to catch her. She didn't see anybody who looked like her brothers, until she heard somebody say "Nee-chan!"_

_She turned around and found panicked twins running for her. She ran towards them and hugged them as they cried. "Hiroshi, Keitaro!"_

"_Nee-chan!"_

_Their aunt and uncle caught up to her. "Kimiko! Don't ever do that again!" scolded her aunt._

"_Boys, what are you doing out of bed?" their uncle asked._

"_We wanted to find nee-chan!" Keitaro said._

"_And we can't find tou-san or okaa-san!"_

_Kimiko looked at her aunt and uncle. "Where's mommy and daddy?"_

_The two adults looked at each other and led the three children to another room. There was a window to the other room, and Kimiko got up on tippytoes to see. She saw some doctors with unsatisfied faces looking at the beings on the bed._

"_Auntie, Uncle…who's that?" asked Kimiko._

_They stood quiet at first as each of them had a twin in their arms._

"_Kimiko…"_

_The girl looked up at her aunt. "Yes?"_

"_Your parents…"_

"_Uh huh?"_

"_They…" The girl looked at her uncle. "What is it?"_

"_Kimiko…your parents…are dead."_

_Those words struck the small girl like bullets. "Wh…what?"_

"_Kimi-chan…your mom and dad didn't survive the car crash…they were already dead when the ambulance came…"_

"_No…no…no!" She bolted through the door and ran up to the bed, where the doctors had covered the bodies with a sheet._

"_Mommy! Daddy! No!" Tears began to swell up in her eyes. "You can't be dead…no…"_

_Keitaro looked at his aunt. "Auntie…what's wrong with nee-chan?"_

"_She's…sad…and she's crying."_

"_But why?"_

"_Honey…your parents are dead…"_

_Hiroshi looked confused. "What's…dead?"_

_Their uncle knew that the boys were still small, so they didn't know a lot about life and death. "Hiroshi…your parents…went bye-bye."_

"_Bye-bye?"_

"_You won't be seeing them ever again."_

"_But…I don't understand."_

"_You know how…that day when you saw the movie when the dog wasn't living anymore?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Well…mommy and daddy are like the dog…they aren't living anymore."_

_The twins understood what their uncle was trying to say. Their lower lip began to quiver and their eyes began to water. They sobbed, and then began to cry. The uncle and aunt patted their nephews on the back and tried to rock them so they'd calm down._

_Kimiko didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay by her parent's bedside. The poor girl sobbed on the bed next to her mother. "No…this can't be happening…"_

_A doctor came up to her. "I'm sorry…I wish there was something we could have done…"_

"_You could have looked for the monster and killed it!"_

"_What?"_

"_That monster killed mommy and daddy! You should of went after it and killed it!"_

_The aunt came in and ushered Kimiko out, who was still crying but also hating the doctor, even though it wasn't his fault._

"_Kimi-chan…please don't say such nonsense…your parents probably crashed into a person or--"_

"_NO!" she screamed. "It was a monster! Why doesn't anybody believe me!?" She got on her knees and cried, sobbing in her hands. Her aunt looked sympathetically at the little girl, and embraced her, stroking her hair._

"_Kimi-chan…it's gonna be alright…"_

_But it wasn't going to be alright. Kimiko knew what she saw wasn't an illusion. She had seen a monster, and not just at that moment. Ever since she was five she had been able to see strange monsters like the one she saw tonight. And every time she tried to tell somebody, but they wouldn't believe her._

_She knew now, that she was not wrong._

_End of Flashback_

"And my life was never the same again…" was Kimiko's ending sentence. Kiki was sobbing at this point, and the twins were crying silently to themselves, tears running down their face.

"So…now you know how my parents died Renji…and you know what I think that monster was?"

"I think I can guess. You think…it was a Hollow."

"Yes. After seeing Hollows again, I am definitely sure that was a Hollow that night. It probably ate my parent's souls when they crashed. Since we weren't dead, I guess it didn't get to us…or maybe back then a shinigami came and defeated it…I'm not sure…but thank goodness my brothers and I are still alive…I do wish my parents could of shared our luck…"

"So…how did you and your brothers end up living by yourselves?"

"Originally my aunt and uncle were going to take us in, but I kept refusing. For a few years I had to live with them, and when I was thirteen, I wanted to live on my own. So, realizing I was being stubborn, my aunt and uncle rented the apartment I currently live in. Hiroshi and Keitaro didn't want to stay where I wasn't, so they insisted on coming too. That's how the three of us stood together by ourselves. I quickly learned how to cook after seeing my mom and aunt do it so many times, and my brothers helped out with the chores. Our aunt and uncle send us money often to buy a month's worth of groceries and other necessities. But when summer comes I plan to get a part time job so I can also support this small family of three…well, four now with you Renji. Oh wait…Kiki and Nova too…hmm…so that's six…well…I'm just gonna have to cut back somewhere…"

Kimiko gently brushed her fingertips on her parents' tombstone. "Mom…dad…"

Renji didn't like this depressing scene, so he said "Hey, I'm gonna walk around…"

"Take my brothers with you."

"Huh?"

"I don't want them to stay depressed…so maybe a walk will help. Please Renji."

"Sure Kim." The redhead kneeled down next to the twins. "Hey, you guys wanna take a walk?"

Keitaro wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "Ok Renji nii-san." Hiroshi nodded and they followed the redhead around the cemetery. Kiki and Nova stood with Kimiko.

"Are you ok Kimiko?" asked Nova as he placed a plushie arm on her leg worriedly. Kiki hugged the girl's arm.

"I'm fine…I just wish my parents could have been alive to see the day when I graduate high school…"

Kiki and Nova looked at each other. "Kim…do you mind if we take a look at some of the other graves?"

"No, not at all." She didn't know why they would want to do that, but she thought maybe they didn't want to see her sad.

The girl arranged the flowers neatly beside the tombstone. She gave a sad smile.

"Hey there mom and dad. How are things in heaven? Everything is so-so down here. I miss you though. Hiroshi and Keitaro do too. Oh and, the flower shop lady said hello also." She sighed. "School has been fine and my karate class is going great. I'm getting stronger and I'm second in strength, just below Tatsuki. You remember her right? Anyway, the twins have been doing all of their schoolwork and are getting better grades, even though they aren't the highest marks. But boy…this school year sure has been…different." She smiled as she thought about her new friends, and her secret life.

"I'm gonna tell you guys something. I have a new job now. I'm a shinigami. You want to know what it is? It's a spirit who protects other spirits from Hollows, which are these heartless monsters who consume wandering souls here on earth. Hollows actually used to be human spirits, but then they got turned into Hollows after being eaten by one themselves. That, is what killed you that night mom and dad. I wish I could of done something…but I was just ten…and now that I know how to fight them…I regret everything even more…" She was getting teary eyed.

"Oh mom…I wish you and dad were still alive…I have so much to tell you…I made some friends. Hmm, I know you must be happy." She laughed a little to herself. "They're an odd bunch, but they're very kind and friendly. Most of them are also shinigami posing as high school students. They were stationed here by this place called the Seireitei. That's where saved souls go. I wonder if you're there…I hope so…I would hate nothing more than to see you guys as Hollows…" The girl dreaded the fact that it might be true. "Oh…and there is one more person living with us. He's like a personal shinigami since he was given an order to protect me, and the twins. His name is Abarai Renji and he's a great person. He's having a little bit of a hard time trying to fit in with the human world, but he's getting the hang of it. At times he can be stubborn and a bit too much…but he's really sweet when you have patience with him."

Kimiko smiled a bit more with happiness. "He's a great friend, and a great guardian. I wish you could meet him. Renji…"

"Kimiko?"

The girl turned around to see Kikyou. "Oh, hello Kikyou. It's been a while. How have you been?"

"Oh, I've been fine."

"What are you doing in a cemetery?"

"Um…I came to visit my grandma."

"I see."

"What are you doing?"

"Oh…well I'm visiting my parents. They died in a car accident."

Kikyou gasped a little. "I'm so sorry…"

"That's ok." Kimiko got up, and bowed a little towards her parents' grave. Then she turned to Kikyou. "So, how has school been treating you?"

"Oh fine. I've made a few friends."

"That's great!"

"It's all thanks to you Kimiko."

"Why's that?" The girl blinked.

"Because…in a way…you gave me confidence…to stand up for myself…so I was a little more open about things…and then slowly I began to make friends." She smiled at her. "I also saw you at the Halloween dance. You looked so pretty as an angel. I think that costume is the best one suited for you."

"Really?"

"Yup." Kikyou blushed. "Um…Renji looked good in his pirate costume…"

Kimiko chuckled. "Aww, you're so cute when you're embarrassed." She placed a hand on the younger girl's head. "Say, I'm gonna make dinner today. Would you like to join us?"

"Huh? Who is…us?"

"Oh, my brothers and I."

"Ok."

Kimiko felt a presence. "Is that…" Then, there was a weird roaring sound. Her eyes widened.

"Kikyou, come on, let's go." She grabbed the girl's hand.

"Wh-What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just come on."

The two girls began to walk faster, when Kimiko heard footsteps, loud ones. Kikyou screamed. "Ahhhhhhhhh!!! Wh-What in the world is that?!" She pointed at something in front of Kimiko. She looked in the direction of the point, only to find a Hollow standing mere feet away from them.

"Shit!" Kimiko ran with Kikyou in the opposite direction. "Damn it!"

"Kawasaki-san!" cried Kikyou. "What is that thing?!"

"No time to explain! Kiki! Nova!"

The two plushies heard their names and they ran towards the sound. "Kimiko!"

Kikyou was even more horrified. "Talking stuffed animals?!" Her heart was about to leap out her throat. "What is going on?!"

"No time to explain Kikyou!" She grabbed Kiki.

"Hey! Careful!"

"Shut up and let me get your Mod Soul pill! You need to use my body as a host ok?! There's a Hollow!"

"Eeeek! Well, then hurry up!"

Kimiko stuck her hand in Kiki's plushie mouth, and removed the pill. Then she swallowed it, and out popped her shinigami soul. Kikyou fell backwards. "Wh-What…"

"Everything will be explained later Kikyou. Right now, I want you to follow my body, and don't turn back. Understood?"

"Y-Yes."

Kiki (now in Kimiko's body) grabbed the girl's hand and picked up Nova, as well as her own plushie body and ran off. Kimiko ran towards the Hollow, unsheathing her katana in the process.

--

Kiki ran faster and faster, making sure to get Kikyou away as far as possible. That when she saw a familiar red head.

"Renji!"

He turned to look. "Kiki? What are you doing in Kim's body?"

"Hollow! She's fighting one back there!"

"What?!"

Hiroshi and Keitaro became scared. Renji grabbed Nova. "Sorry buddy, but I forgot my Soul Candy. Can you substitute for me?"

"Of course." Renji pulled out the pill and swallowed it, and his shinigami soul was pushed out. Kikyou, yet again, was astonished.

"R-Renji?"

He paid no attention to her and continued running.

"Renji nii-san!" shouted Hiroshi. "Protect nee-chan!"

"And try not to get hurt!" added Keitaro.

"Come on kid," said Kiki. "We've gotta get out of here."

"O…Ok…"

The five began to run away from the cemetery, and back to Kimiko's apartment.

--

"Gah!" The Hollow smacked its thick arm on Kimiko, sending her crashing onto the ground. It was about to shoot a Cero, when she rolled out of the way.

"Damn it…" she cursed to herself. For a while Kimiko had been just using her plain old katana. It was then that she realized it had a shikai form.

"I'm so stupid…" She calmed down, and held her sword in front of her. "Hunt in stealth…Kyuubi!"

The sword's blade grew wavy again and at the end was a tail-like thing of soft fur. "Alright…let's do this!"

She charged at the Hollow and swung her katana in mid air, causing a cutting wind that looked like a circle. It pierced through the Hollow's arm who roared in pain. "Hmm…I guess my sword has different ways of cutting. I better learn all of them."

The Hollow charged at her, and shot another beam from its mouth. She dodged it but then got hurt as the Hollow once again whacked her away.

"Ow!" She held her side. It hurt. "Crap…"

The Hollow approached her, and was about to step on her, when she heard a familiar cry. "Howl Zabimaru!" A long extension of a sword with thorn-like ends, shred through the Hollow's leg. It roared in pain again and Kimiko felt herself being lifted up by strong arms.

"Renji…"

He began to look for a safe place to put Kimiko. "Hey there."

"What are you doing here?"

"I ran into Kiki and she told me about the situation."

"Oh…well aren't you going to fight it?!"

"Yeah hold on! I need to find a place to put you first! Geez…"

"No! I want to help!"

"Kim you're injured!"

"So?! That didn't stop soldiers in war! A mere knock to the side is like a slap to them compared to getting blown up! I can still fight!"

Renji looked at the girl he was carrying in his arms. She looked at him determinedly, her amber eyes firing with fighting spirit. He sighed. "Alright. Come on."

He began to head back towards the Hollow. "Renji, you can let me down now."

"No."

She looked up at him. "No?"

"I'm gonna carry you until we reach that thing. Besides, I have a solution." He smiled down at her. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

Kimiko found herself becoming a bit shy as a light blush appeared on her face. "Renji…"

The redhead continued to run towards the Hollow. "Alright, this is the plan. I'm gonna distract that thing from below, and then you attack from above. Got it?"

"Yeah but…how am I supposed to get up in the air—aaaaaah!" She was flung over the Hollow, still soaring. "Renji you jerk!"

He gave an amused smirk. "Remember the plan!" He became serious again and swung Zabimaru at the Hollow, who's mask got slashed diagonally across.

"Alright! Prepare to die Hollow!" shouted Kim as she was about to swing Kyuubi again. The Hollow turned its head up towards her, and Kimiko went wide-eyed. "N…No…"

The Hollow swung at her again with it's thick arm and she was thrown at a tree trunk. She hit her back and collapsed on the floor. "Ow…it…hurts…"

"Kim!" Renji glared at the Hollow. "You're going to pay for that."

"No…stop Renji!"

He turned towards his partner. "What?"

"No…don't attack it!"

"Why not?!"

Kimiko slowly lifted herself up and walked over as fast as she could. "Don't…"

"Kim…come on! I have to attack it!"

Tears began to fall out of her eyes. "You can't! Look!" She pointed to the face revealed on the Hollow. It was a woman with silky black hair.

"And?!" Renji was becoming impatient.

Kimiko sobbed. "That's my mother!"

He stopped, and his anger immediately vanished. "Your…mother?"

"Yes…that face…that's my mother's…" She began to cry. "No…this was the thing I didn't want to happen…I didn't want my mother to become a Hollow!"

She stood up and walked over to the Hollow. Renji was getting frustrated with her. "Stop it Kimiko!"

The girl looked up at the Hollow from a safe distance. "Mom…don't you know who I am?"

The Hollow stared at the girl for a long time. "Kimi-chan…it's…you…"

"Yes…" She sobbed again. "Why mom…why did you do this to yourself?"

"I…did not do anything…I was overcome by Hollows…and…then I became one myself…I grew hungry…my heart was empty…I needed to feel alive…but no matter how many souls I fed on…it didn't help…but then I found you…and I realized…that all I wanted…was to eat you."

Kimiko's horror stricken face scared Renji. He had never seen her so fragile.

"But…why would you want to eat me…why?!"

"Kim."

She turned her head to see Renji.

"Hollows usually go after the ones they loved when they were alive. Those souls are the ones that taste the best to them. Your mom…she has no heart…because Hollows lack a heart…and if she eats you…then she still won't be satisfied…Hollows never are."

Kimiko looked at her mother again. "No…it can't be…mom…why…?"

Her mother looked down at her. "Kimiko…I don't want to eat you…but a part of me can't stop the craving…"

"Wh…what happened to dad?"

"I saw him once…and he had been slain by a shinigami. Therefore I do not know where he is…"

"You mean…both of you turned into Hollows?!" She practically shrieked when she said it.

"I suppose. But Kimiko…my temptation is growing…and if I manage to eat you…then that won't stop me from going after Hiroshi and Keitaro…"

"No…you can't…you can't eat your own sons!" The girl didn't hold back from crying anymore as she fell on her knees to the ground. "Impossible! How could you want to eat your own children!? I won't let you hurt Hiroshi and Keitaro! They're the only people I have left! I won't let you hurt them!!!"

"Then kill me Kimiko!"

She looked up at her mom.

"If you don't hurry up then I will honestly eat you!"

"No…I can't…I…"

"You were just saying a moment ago that you'd protect your brothers! Then do it by killing me!"

"NO!"

"Kim."

"What Renji?!"

"Do what your mom says."

"But…I…"

"Kimiko…"

She looked up at her mom.

"Please…do this for me…as my final wish…I don't want to be hurting anymore…it's too painful…"

"Mom…"

"Please…I beg of you…"

Kimiko stood up and retrieved her katana from the floor, walking over to her Hollow mother.

"You've grown so big…and so beautiful. You're becoming a fine young woman…in everything. I only wish…I could have seen you grow…and your brothers…how I miss them and their adorable faces…"

"Mom…"

"Kimiko, I'm proud that I was the one to give birth to you. I'm deeply overjoyed that I was your mother." She looked ahead over to Renji.

"You there…shinigami."

"Yes?"

"It is apparent to me that you are the one who protects Kimiko…and also is a good friend of hers…" She smiled sadly. "Take care of my daughter…Abarai Renji."

"How…" he asked a little surprised. "How do you know my name?"

"Because…for some odd reason…when Kimiko was praying near my grave…I was able to hear her…and she's told me enough to know that she's in good hands. Take care of her…and her brothers…will you do this for me?"

"Of course. It's a promise."

She smiled. "Thank you." Then she turned to her daughter. "Kimiko, I am asking you one more time dear…please…send the final blow…I can't take it anymore…I'm struggling to keep my sanity and not eat you…"

"Mom…I can't do it…"

"You are the only one who can make me at peace…if anybody else does it…then I will be restless for eternity…"

"No…mom…" A lot of tears had been falling from her amber eyes. "Mom…"

"Kimiko…I am proud of you…so I want you to continue being who you are and continue being a shinigami…helping other souls reach peace…I don't want them to turn out like me."

The girl continued to cry, but raised her sword.

"Kimiko…I'll always love you. Don't forget that."

Renji heard some rushing footsteps behind him, and turned around to see Ichigo and the rest of the shinigami committee. "Ichigo."

"Renji! We got as message about a Hollow and--!" He looked over at Kimiko. "What is she doing?"

"Ichigo…that Hollow…is her mother."

Rukia's eyes turned to saucers. "Her…mother?"

"Kimiko's parents passed away…and unfortunately became Hollows…I guess her dad was slain by another shinigami…and now her mom wants Kimiko to be the one to kill her…"

"Oh…poor Kimiko-chan," said Matsumoto. "It must be hard for her…"

"Mom…" Kimiko said as she was ready to strike. "I love you…"

She smiled sincerely. "I love you too Kimiko."

The girl closed her eyes tight and gave a powerful blow to the Hollow. It began to turn into sparkling particles. Her mother closed her eyes with a content look on her face.

Kimiko opened her eyes to see her mother disappearing.

"Thank you Kimiko…" _Take care of her…shinigami Abarai Renji._

All the particles had disappeared, and Kimiko stood looking at the sky. It was gray and seemed cloudy.

"Kimiko?" asked Rukia gently.

She saw the girl's sword slip from her hand, and then she fell on her knees, crying into her hands.

Toushirou looked sympathetic. "Well…there's nothing we can do to make her feel better. Her mother is at least at rest from being a Hollow. Better she was just a Hollow and not an Arrancar. It would have been more devastating to her if that happened."

"True," said Ichigo. "But still. I feel bad…having both her parents become the enemy."

Renji walked up to her. "Kim?"

She didn't answer and continued to cry. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey…come on…it'll be ok."

She smacked his hand away. "Leave me alone! Don't touch me!"

"Ok! Calm down!"

Kimiko held her head. "Mom…dad…" She felt a pulse in her head, and she held on to it tighter.

"Hey…what's wrong?"

He saw something white beginning to materialize on the side of her head. "What the hell…"

She stood up, and picked up her katana. "So…you wanna know what's wrong?"

"Um…yes?"

She turned around slowly, and then spun on her heels, to reveal half a Hollow mask on her face. "Everything is wrong! This whole fucking world is wrong!" She had an insane look in her eyes, which only was only magnified by her insane smile.

"Come on Renji…let's play!" She swung her sword at him, and he dodged it swiftly.

"What the hell!? Kimiko! What are you doing?! Why do you have that mask?!"

"Aww…don't you think it's pretty? Or are you just jealous?!"

She swung at him again, and Ichigo knew what was happening. "Damn it…"

"Kimiko…" Rukia began.

"Is a Vizard," the strawberry finished for her.

"Urahara's training must be the cause," Toushirou said. He began to unsheathe his own sword. "If she is not stopped, this could be a serious problem."

"No…Toushirou…"

"It's Hitsugaya-taichou." A small vein appeared on his head.

"Let me handle this. I know how to fight shinigami like these."

"Very well Kurosaki. But if she does not return back to normal, then I shall be the one to fix it."

"Understood."

Renji meanwhile, was having a difficult time trying to avoid Kimiko without hurting her. The girl's blade clashed against his own.

"Aww…what's wrong Cherry-chan? Are you afraid you'll hurt Kimi-chan? Oh, do you have feelings for Kimi-chan? Is that why you don't want to attack her?"

"What? No! I just don't want to damage her soul!"

"Ha! You lie! I look into those foolish eyes of yours, and they tell me that there is more to that sentence than meets the eye!" She kicked him in the stomach and he was sent crashing down onto the floor, breaking a tombstone.

"Ooooh!" mocked Kimiko. "You broke a tombstone Cherry-chan! I'm telling!" She wiggled her finger back and forth. "That's a no-no! Oh, now you need to be punished!" She swung the blade in mid air, causing a strong slicing wind. It was about to hit Renji, when a large sword blocked it.

"Huh?"

Ichigo stood in front of the redhead. "Renji…let me handle this one."

"Ichigo…but…"

"I won't kill her. Trust me."

"Ichigo! You still can't just attack her!"

"Renji! That's not Kimiko! That's her Hollow inside her! Kimiko is too weak to fight back, so that's why this other her took over the body! If I don't do something to stop it, Kimiko's Hollow is going to have complete authority! Do you want Kimiko to turn into a Hollow like her mother?!"

He looked up at Ichigo. "N…No…"

"Good. Then just sit there and let me handle this."

"So arrogant."

"I'm not arrogant. I just know how to handle the situation better."

Ichigo charged at Hollow Kimiko, and she deflected the slice with her own blade. "Oh, so are you the tag team for Cherry-chan? Ichigo was it? Hmm, I think I'll call you Berry-chan! So…let's play Berry-chan!"

She leaped backwards and sent another air slice at him, but he blocked it with his sword again. She swung the sword once more, and this time the wave of energy was in zigzags.

"What the…" He got cut with one of the waves and blood splashed out.

"Hee hee. You see Berry-chan, Kyuubi can cut nine different ways, because she has nine different tails. Though…the slices aren't as strong as they would be in bankai, which this imbecile of a girl can't seem to learn yet! So I'M gonna take over from now on! Ha ha! I'm much stronger than this stupid weakling!"

The Hollow swung again, causing the slices to become ripples. Ichigo dodged most of them, but got cut with about two.

"Damn it!"

"Aww, Berry-chan is getting angry because he's losing! Well now, fighting with swords is so boring! Let's use our fists instead!"

She dashed at him from the air and grabbed his collar. _She's fast!_ he thought to himself. Kimiko whirled him around and then swung him against a tree, but didn't let go. Then she slammed him on a tombstone, hurting his back and causing blood to drip out of his mouth.

"Ichigo!" cried Rukia. She was about to intervene, when a slice was aimed right for her. Matsumoto grabbed the petite girl just in time.

"Leave us alone shinigami! It's only me and Berry-chan! If you come any closer, ANY of you, I'll kill you!"

"This Hollow…" Toushirou began to say. "…seems to like playing with her food before she devours it. How unpleasant."

"Ha!" She slammed her foot into Ichigo, causing him to soar in the sky. Then she punched him in the gut sending him crashing on the floor yet again.

"Hee hee. You're losing Berry-chan."

He struggled to get up, and looked at Hollow Kimiko's smiling and mocking face, her sword casually resting on her shoulder.

"Fine…it looks like I'll have to fight fire with fire." His own Hollow mask began to materialize, but it covered his whole face. "Ban…KAI!"

Kimiko shielded her eyes with her sleeve as dust was blown her way. "Huh? What happened?"

She felt a heavy punch hit her stomach. She coughed and was sent flying backwards.

"What…what was that?!" She looked over and found Ichigo in his bankai attire, his Hollow mask plastered on his face.

"Oh…so you're using cheats huh Berry-chan? Well…I don't really like cheaters. Hmm. But if you get to cheat, then so can I!"

More of the mask was forming.

"Kim!" shouted Renji. "Stop it! Regain your senses!"

"Shut it Cherry-chan!" the Hollow yelled back. "She can't hear you because she's too busy crying about things she can't control. Ha! Makes me ashamed that I have to be in her body!"

Renji couldn't take it anymore. He knew Ichigo's bankai was strong, especially since he could also control his Hollow better. _If Ichigo attacks Kim…then she's a goner!_ He got up and raced over to her.

"Renji!" shouted Matsumoto. "What are you doing?!"

The redhead began to run towards Kimiko. "Stop it Kimiko!"

"Cherry-chan…leave her alone!" She swung the blade again, but he dodged it and continued running. "Persistent aren't you!?"

"Kim!" He blocked Hollow Kimiko's blade with his own. "Listen to me! I know you're depressed about your parents!" Again his blade clashed with hers. "But you've gotta snap out of it, otherwise this thing will take over you!"

"Ah! How DARE you call me a thing!"

"Kim! Listen to me! Your mother wants you to continue living, for her! Who's gonna protect Hiroshi and Keitaro if you're dead?! Nobody! Think about it! Your brothers need you! Your friends need you!"

Again swords clashed.

"I need you!"

Hollow Kimiko was getting irritated. "Oh shut up already!" She kicked him forcefully in the stomach, sending him crashing down onto the ground. The girl landed right next to him. She raised her sword. "I don't like it when people interfere with my fun. You tagged Berry-chan, so only he was supposed to play with me. But then you got greedy and wanted to play too. I only play with one person at a time! More torture, more fun!"

She smiled evilly. He didn't even know her smile could stretch that far across her face. "You lose Cherry-chan!"

The girl stopped, and was frozen. _Get out of my body!_

"Argh! You dumb girl! Leave me alone!"

_I won't let you hurt Renji!_

"Grrr…stop it! RIGHT NOW!"

Kimiko's hand moved to her mask, trying to pull it off. "No! Stop it you moron!"

_I'm not gonna let you take over…I have a lot I want to do before I die you bastard!_

She ripped off the mask, causing the Hollow to scream. The girl was panting, and her sword returned to its normal form. Kimiko looked down at Renji. "Renji…I'm so sorry…"

Kimiko fell on the floor, her sword landing next to her. Renji sat up, clutching his stomach. "Kim…"

Ichigo's mask went away, and Rukia ran up to him. "Ichigo…"

"I'm alright." He smiled at her. "Don't worry Rukia."

She gave a sweet smile back. "Ok."

Toushirou walked up to Renji. "I think she should be taken to Urahara's."

"No…I'm…I'm pretty sure she's alright now. She was just a little broken up…"

Renji stood up and carried the unconscious girl in his arms. "I think it's best if we just go home."

Toushirou sighed. "Very well. But if anything happens, notify me at once."

"Understood Hitsugaya-taichou."

--

Back home, Kiki and the others waited patiently for the return of the shinigami. Renji, at that moment, hopped up to the outside balcony and in through the sliding glass door.

"Renji!" Kiki said. She was still inside Kimiko's body. "Oh…what happened?!"

"Well…it's kinda hard to explain. See, when Kim got her shinigami powers…she also got powers of a Hollow due to the method she got it at…so…since she was very weak when fighting the Hollow…her inner Hollow took over for a brief time…and well I had to fight it. Luckily Ichigo and the others came. If they hadn't…Kim would be a Hollow and I wouldn't be here right now."

Kiki walked up to Renji and looked at the unconscious girl. "Here, give me Kim. I'll take her to her room."

"Alright." He set the girl in Kiki's arms, and then she walked into the girl's bedroom.

"Um…excuse me."

Renji looked at the couch to find Kikyou sitting there. "Hey…you're that girl…Kikyou."

"Yes…um…why are you dressed like a samurai Renji?"

"Wait…you can see me?!"

"Yes…"

"Gah…then you must have some sort of spiritual pressure too…"

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't know if I should tell you. I think your memory should just be erased."

"What? I don't want my memory to be erased!"

"Sorry, but you're not supposed to see us shinigami. I don't know how you're able to, but you won't remember any of this by tomorrow."

"No, please! I don't want to forget!"

"Relax. You'll only have the memory of this monster situation gone. You'll still remember everything else."

"Please! I don't want to forget!"

"Why not?!"

"Because I want to help Kawasaki-san! I saw how another her came out of her body and she ran back to fight that monster!"

"There's nothing you can do."

"I promise I won't tell! Honest!"

"Look, you're gonna have to take this up with my captain. Well…captain on this mission anyway."

"And who's that?"

_If I tell her…won't that spark more questions? Man…this is complicated…but…if I want her to be quiet then I guess I really have no choice…_ "My captain is that kid with the white hair. The one who hangs around with us at lunch."

"You mean…Hitsugaya?"

"Yes. He's my captain and also a shinigami like myself. You're going to have to talk to him, but don't do it out in the open ok? That'll attract attention."

"I understand. Um…is Kawasaki-san going to be alright?"

"Kim's gonna be fine. She just needs rest."

"Well…ok…"

Renji walked over to Nova who was sitting down on the other couch. "Thanks for taking care of my body for me."

"No problem."

The redhead went back inside his body, the pill popping out. He caught it, and put it back inside the plushie. Nova became animated again and crawled up the couch next to Kikyou. She was a little scared since walking and talking plushies weren't exactly normal.

"I'm gonna go see Kiki and Kim."

Renji got up and walked towards the room. He knocked on the door and he heard Kiki say "Come in."

He walked inside, and saw Kimiko lying on the bed. Kiki was standing over her. "I'm glad you came in. I'm gonna get back inside my plushie body."

"Now? But Kim needs to rest."

"Yeah I know, but I don't want to make things more complicated for that girl in the living room."

"I see…"

Kiki grabbed Kimiko's shinigami and stuffed her into her own body. Out popped the pill and Renji caught it in his hand, putting it back inside the fox plushie. Kimiko, now in her original body, fell limp on the floor. Renji picked her up and placed her on the bed so she could get some rest.

He felt bad that she had to fight her own mother. He would be devastated if he had to fight his own parents. Of course…he didn't have any parents, so luckily he didn't have to face a tragedy like Kimiko did today. But still, he felt sympathetic towards her. Nevertheless, he was going to keep his promise to her mother, and protect her as long as time permits.

"So strange…she has a Hollow inside of her…just like Ichigo…" Renji didn't like that Kimiko was mutated in a sense. This would make battling much more difficult for her. "Well, it looks like I might have to start training her…and Ichigo will have to help me too…since he's kinda the same."

He heard a knock on the door. "Yeah?"

"It's us Renji nii-san."

"Oh, come in."

Hiroshi and Keitaro walked into the room, looking at their older sister on the bed, sleeping.

"Renji nii-san…what happened?"

"Well…it's complicated…"

Kiki finally managed to get up on the bed. "Renji! You just left me on the floor!"

"I did? Oh sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

"Obviously not. You were too busy paying attention to Kimiko. Where's _my_ love?!"

He ignored her yet again and turned back to the twins. "Like I was saying, it's complicated…so I'll explain later. Right now, we need to let Kim rest."

"Ok."

The redhead grabbed Kiki and walked out of the room, the twins following.

--

The next morning, Kimiko woke up and stretched. "What happened?" She looked around and noticed she was in her room. "How'd I get here?"

"Oh, you're awake."

She turned to the sound of the voice to see a black cat sitting at the end of her bed. "What…Yoruichi-san?!"

"Good morning!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, well we came to look after you."

"We?"

The door opened and in stepped Urahara with a batch of pancakes in his hand. "Good morning Kawasaki-chan!" he said happily.

"Urahara-san?! What's going on!?"

"Oh we were sent here to take care of you."

"Huh? But why?"

"Because…don't you remember anything that happened yesterday?"

Kimiko remembered her fight with her Hollow mother, and the fight with her inner Hollow as well.

"Oh yes…"

She saw four plushies jump up on her bed: Kiki, Nova, Ririn, and Kurodo.

"And we're here to keep you company!"

"Hold on hold on! What time is it?"

Urahara looked at the kitchen clock. "Oh, well it's ten in the morning."

"WHAT?! I have school today!"

"But you can't go today! You need your rest!"

"No! I've never missed a day of school before!"

"Kawasaki-chan!"

Kimiko went to her closet and got out her uniform and rushed to the bathroom. She didn't have time to shower, so she just hurriedly put it on and washed up. Then she went to her room and got her school bag. "Thank goodness I did my homework yesterday at lunch…"

She ran to the door and put on her shoes, and then ran out of her apartment.

Kisuke sighed. "Oh…and I made these pancakes especially for her…"

"I'll eat them," Yoruichi replied.

"Oh good! I didn't want them to go to waste."

--

Kimiko ran up to the school and dashed into the building. She headed towards her classroom and barged right in. It was the English period.

"Hmm? Kawasaki-chan."

"Sorry sensei! So sorry!"

"I thought you were out sick."

"Uh…"

"Abarai-kun said you were feeling under the weather, so you stood home."

She glanced over at Renji who didn't look at her, afraid she might hit him.

"Oh…I was…but then I realized that I needed to come here to learn today's materials. I didn't want to miss a day of school, so I wanted to come. I mean, I don't feel horrible anymore like I was earlier in the morning."

"Well that's good. But you're going to have to clear the past absences of today in the office."

"Alright."

"Now take your seat please."

Kimiko sat down in her usual seat, next to Renji. She glanced at him, but he didn't look at her and merely took notes as the teacher was talking. The girl decided to do the same.

Once the bell rang, it was time to go to the next class.

"Hey Renji."

"Oh, Kim. Why'd you come?"

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Because you need to rest."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Being a shinigami and a Hollow is not normal. You should have stood at home with Urahara-san."

"So you're the one who called them?!"

"I didn't know who else to call!"

"Renji, I appreciate your concern for me but I'm not a kid! I can take care of myself!"

"Not in this state! Kim, you don't know the seriousness of the situation! If you're in battle and your body grows weak, then the Hollow is going to take over again! Ichigo told me that if you're weak physically or even deeply damaged emotionally when in the battlefield, your Hollow has a chance at coming out!"

"But I can control her!"

"No you can't! Not like Ichigo! You have hardly any experience as a shinigami plus you now have to worry about the Hollow side of you!"

"Renji!"

He was getting fed up with her. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her against the wall. She was taken aback by his actions.

"Listen to me closely Kimiko. You are not a shinigami. You are a Vizard. And while they may be very strong, it takes a hell of a lot of training to fully control the power. You have fought very few times, and you have no idea on what you're dealing with. If you can't control your emotions better, and if you don't train properly, then that Hollow will consume you and eventually turn fully into that heartless creature. Then…I will have no choice…but to kill you."

She looked up at him, blinking a few times. His face was expressionless as he let go of her.

"Renji…why are you being so strict with me? Do you not think I can take care of myself?"

"You can take care of yourself perfectly Kim. But not when you're a shinigami. You need a lot of practice. A lot. And besides…I made a promise to your mother to protect you…so…that's the main reason why I'm getting frustrated over this."

She looked at him curiously, but also with admiration. "Renji…"

"Look, we better get to class alright? Come on."

He began to walk to the next period, and Kimiko followed him like a dog to her master.

"Sorry Renji…just that…I don't like to be told what to do or to be restrained."

"I'm not trying to boss you around Kim. I'm just trying to take care of you and make sure nothing bad happens. My mission from Hitsugaya-taichou was to take care of you and that's what I intend to do."

"Ok…"

"Although…I'm surprised you didn't hit me back there…"

"Do you _want_ me to hit you? What you did was considered harassment you know, slamming me against the wall forcefully. That's gonna give passersby the wrong idea Renji."

"Hey! I wasn't trying to do anything wrong to you! I just needed you to listen to me!"

"You could have said 'Listen to me Kim' or something instead of using force."

"Well I got my point across so that's all that matters."

"I guess. Just don't do something like that to me ever again."

"Geez…I won't…Now come on. We're gonna be late if we don't hurry up."

"Alright."

And so, the two walked to their next class, the girl asking him about the lessons and homework she missed. The bond between them was gradually growing stronger, even though it was a little rocky.

Nonetheless, it was sure to make them more than what they were now.

**So now you know how Kimiko's parents died. Kinda sucks that she had to fight her mom doesn't it? Well yeah. I tend to like giving my characters tragic childhoods because it's fun. Ah, evil. Everybody's got it. :3**


	13. Queen of Hearts

I AM SO DAMN SORRY! I haven't updated this story in like...four months...but just recently I found the time to update it. School has been a huge bother...since I'm nearing the end of this current academic year. And I've had writer's block for a while. "But for _four_ months?!" Yes my lovely reviewers...FOUR MONTHS OF WRITER'S BLOCK. But then when I was watching Bleach on television this past weekend, I got inspired for some strange reason when I saw Renji. C:

Anyway, I didn't do a Christmas chapter, because it's way too late for that, so I did a Valentine's one instead. Hope you guys don't mind.

Now...this story has approximately reached the middle of the plot. You know what that means...yes...we're now turning towards the end. Oh, and I finally found a bad guy to put in here. But I'll let you all wait and see to find out what exactly I am talking about.

Well, here's the next chapter. And I bet you're wondering why my Author's Notes look like this now. Er...I decided to change the format...because I want to.

Btw, have you all been keeping up with the Bleach manga? IT IS SO FRIGGIN INTERESTING RIGHT NOW.

* * *

Queen of Hearts

It had been a few months since Kimiko fought her Hollow mother at the cemetery. She had been a little depressed from time to time, but her friends told her that now her mother could rest in peace. Christmas had passed, and they had celebrated it joyfully. It had been Renji's first Christmas in the human world, so the twins had to explain to him all the customs and such.

But, December was over, and January had passed. The New Year went swell, and Urahara decided to throw a small party. Of course…Matsumoto had gotten drunk yet again, and poor Toushirou was at her mercy during that short time period.

February was the world's current month, and Karakura High was getting excited for Valentine's Day.

It was the beginning of homeroom, and everybody was talkative.

"Oh, Valentine's Day is almost here!" exclaimed Orihime. "I can't wait!"

Tatsuki smiled "You always get bunches of Valentines, don't you Orihime?"

The girl giggled. "Yeah I guess. I think it's nice so many boys think of giving me things!"

"That's about half of the male student population," pointed out Tatsuki.

"Oh but Tatsuki-chan, you get Valentines too!"

"Yeah, but only from people who I haven't beaten up."

Both girls laughed. Rukia, like many of the shinigami sent down to the material world, had never experienced Valentine's Day in this place.

"So Orihime," began Rukia. "What exactly do you do on Valentine's Day, here in the material world?"

"Well, the girls give the guys chocolate on Valentine's Day. And then on White Day, the guys return the favor, but two times better!"

"But sometimes our high school tends to have absurd contests just for the heck of it…" said Tatsuki.

"Really? Like what?"

"Well…" Tatsuki hesitated.

"Pointless contests," replied Kimiko. She happened to overhear their conversation.

"What kind of…pointless contests?"

"Queen of Hearts."

Rukia blinked. "Queen of…Hearts?"

"Yeah. See, during White Day, whichever girl gets the most Valentines, becomes the Queen of Hearts."

"Oh. Well, that's new."

"Ami always wins, so I don't see why there even needs to be a contest." Kimiko put down her books on her desk. "But, I think, with the addition of Matsumoto and yourself, there might be some real competition this year."

"Really? Why is that?"

"Well, Matsumoto's physical appearance is quite alluring to all males, and you Rukia, are cute, even though your bust isn't as large as Matsumoto's or Orihime's. So you three would probably get on Ami's nerves if you started to receive more Valentines than her."

The girl sat down and began to skim through a book she had picked up at the library.

"Personally, I think this whole contest thing is stupid."

Orihime blinked. "Why is that?"

Kimiko looked at her. "Well, Valentines should be given out of compassion, not for the sake of winning a frivolous contest like that. If you're going to give somebody a Valentine, it should be because you honestly care about them, not so you could win a competition. That's why I don't understand why our school has the Queen of Hearts. It puts the whole Valentine's Day to waste."

"Oh but…" began Orihime. "A lot of people give out Valentines because they care…it's not just for the contest…"

"Not from what I have seen. Orihime, you get a lot of Valentines because you're a real knockout. The only ones who probably care about you are your guy friends, like Ichigo and Renji. Same thing with Tatsuki, Rukia, and even Matsumoto. The rest of the males only give you all Valentines for a reason other than compassion. I think it's wrong to do something like that."

Just then the teacher came in. "Alright, settle down class."

Orihime and the rest returned to their seats as class started to begin. She wondered why Kimiko hated the Queen of Hearts contest and Valentine's Day in general.

--

The school day had finally ended, and Kimiko was relieved. "Oh thank goodness this day is over."

"Are you stressed?" asked Matsumoto.

"Oh…no…not at all. I just don't like that all day there was talk about the contest."

"Kawasaki-san," began Orihime. "Why do you dislike the contest so much?"

"Like I had said: it's dumb. Probably the dumbest thing our school has ever done. I can't wait until White Day passes." She walked to her locker and took out all the books she needed.

Orihime looked sad. "Why does Kawasaki-san hate Valentine's Day…?"

Tatsuki looked sympathetic, and Orihime noticed. "Tatsuki-chaaaaan. I bet you know."

"Er…well…"

"I've never heard of a girl who hates Valentine's Day," Ichigo said. "I mean…don't you girls like that stuff?"

"Valentines isn't for everybody Ichigo," Tatsuki said as-a-matter-of-factly. "Especially…not for Kim…"

Renji looked at her. "Why not?"

"Kim has never really cared about Valentine's Day…not even when she was young. She saw how everybody gave everybody a Valentine, and she thought that you should only give a Valentine to somebody you care about. Ami thought Kim was just jealous because she was getting more Valentines than her." She sighed. "And that's when the problems started…"

"Problems?"

"Oh…well…I think Kim should tell you. I mean…it's really her decision if she wants you to know or not."

There was silence for a moment. "Well, I gotta go."

"Um…" began Orihime. "I gotta go too. Tatsuki-chan! Wait up!"

This sparked Renji's curiosity, as well as the rest. "I wonder why Kim doesn't like Valentine's Day?"

"Who knows?" replied Ichigo. "But…if she wants to tell us, then she'll tell us. It's up to her really."

Kimiko returned back to her group of friends. "Well, I got my books. Hey, where's Orihime and Tatsuki?"

"They went home early for some reason," answered Matsumoto. "Hmm…don't know why though."

"Oh…well alright then." She turned to Renji. "Ready to go home Renji?"

"Yeah, but why do you say it like I'm some kind of pet?"

"What's your point?"

"Hey now…"

"Oh, Renji, I need to stop by the supermarket. Can you pick up Hiroshi and Keitaro from school please?"

"Sure."

The two left while the rest of their friends remained at school for a little while longer.

--

While Kimiko was busy going to the supermarket, Renji went to the school the twins attended. The two boys saw him and ran up to him happily.

"Oh! Hello Renji-niisan!" they said in unison.

He smiled at them. "Hey there. Ready to go home?"

"Yup! Where's neechan?"

"Oh she went to the supermarket, so she wanted me to pick you guys up."

"Ah! We see!"

Renji and the twins began to walk home towards Kimiko's apartment.

"Say Renji-niisan," began Hiroshi. "We did an essay today."

"Really? About what?"

"About a person we admire," responded Keitaro.

"Oh, and who was the person?"

"You Renji-niisan!"

He looked at them. "Me? Why me?"

"Well," began Hiroshi. "You're a shinigami for one…but we didn't say that…we just said you're very good at protecting people."

"Plus, you also make neechan happy," added Keitaro. "I've never seen her so…joyful before."

"…Really?"

"Yes. Anybody who makes neechan happy…"

"…makes us happy too."

The redhead smiled. "You both care a lot about your sister don't you?"

"Of course." Hiroshi looked off into nothingness as if reminiscing. "She raised us, even when our parents were alive."

"She's like…our mom as well as our sister…and we really admire her too for everything she's done for us…"

"We know we're not rich…"

"And we know that we don't have all those technological gadgets that everybody else has…"

"But we're happy living the way we are…"

"Because neechan makes sure we have what's necessary…"

"She provides our food and clothing…"

"And also gives us money when we go on field trips…"

"We really love living with neechan…"

"And we wouldn't trade her for anything in the world…"

"Neechan is very special to us…"

"And we hate anybody who hurts her…"

"We know she's aggressive and difficult to open up to at first…"

"But in the end…people find that she's actually very kind and caring…"

"Plus, she has a fragile heart despite her tough exterior…"

"And anybody who is cruel enough to try and break it…"

"…we dislike for the rest of our lives."

Renji looked at the twins. The two young boys were so devoted to their sister. It was amazing really.

"Wow…I admire you guys a little."

"Oh really? Why is that?"

"Both of you are so thoughtful of your sister."

"Of course!" said Keitaro.

"We have to be. Neechan hasn't exactly had it easy recently…" Hiroshi said.

"Yeah. She's gone through some pretty tough times…"

"And has shed more than her fair share of tears…"

"That's why we don't like to see neechan so sad…"

"Because she does so much for us…it makes us wonder why there are some people who hate her…"

"Hate her? How can anybody hate her?"

The twins looked at him. "Ami. She hates neechan more than anybody."

"But…why?

"Who knows?" They shrugged their shoulders. "But we don't like Ami because she doesn't like neechan. That's how we are. Somebody dislikes neechan, we dislike them."

Renji thought this was very interesting as to how the twins functioned. Anybody who hated Kimiko was the enemy in their eyes.

Finally the three reached the apartment and the twins opened the door, since they had the key.

Kimiko kept forgetting to give Renji a spare.

--

About an hour later, Kimiko returned from the supermarket. "Hey guys, I'm home."

"Neechaaaaan!" the twins cried happily. "Need some help?

"Yes."

The twins helped her with the bags and placed them on the table. They began to take out the groceries and put them in their proper places.

"So," asked Renji as he walked over to the table. "What did you buy?"

"Well food for the week, and ingredients to make chocolate."

"For what?"

"Valentines."

"But…I thought you didn't like Valentines…"

"Yeah I know…but…" Her sentence trailed off. "Anyway, have you finished the homework?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, yeah I did. Luckily it wasn't a lot. I'm tired…"

She giggled. "Of what? You haven't done anything!"

"Hey! Hollow duty remember!"

"That was like weeks ago Renji. Wow, you're really lazy."

"Shut up…"

She just smiled and shook her head. "I'll get dinner started." She went to the small kitchen and began to take out cooking utensils.

Renji looked at her as she cooked. He never imagined somebody hating her. Sure she could be a real pain sometimes, but if you didn't irritate or bother her, she was actually a very nice person. He just couldn't see why somebody would not like her.

_Kim isn't like other girls_, he thought to himself. _And it's not just the fact that she's a shinigami. She's just…I don't know…I can't imagine somebody hating her for no reason…_

He tried not to think about it so much. After all, dinner was on its way.

---

Finally, it was Valentine's Day. The whole school was excited. Every girl on campus had brought chocolate for their Valentine.

Homeroom was the perfect time to give them out.

Some of the boys were eager to see if they'd get any Valentines chocolate this year.

Matsumoto laughed as she saw Toushirou sitting at his desk, reading. "Aww, look at my adorable taichou. He's received so many chocolates!"

Toushirou had about nine chocolates on his desk, and a big one from Matsumoto, which he wouldn't dare to eat. It really paid off to be super cute sometimes.

Orihime presented her chocolate to both Ishida and Chad, since she didn't want to leave anybody out. But, she was a bit nervous giving some to Ichigo.

"Come on Orihime," whispered Tatsuki. "Just give it to him."

"B-But Tatsuki-chan…"

Ichigo felt somebody poke him. He looked down. "What is it Rukia?"

"Here." She held up a chocolate. The bag was decorated nicely with red and gold hearts on it. "I made this for you…I mean…that's what girls do on Valentine's Day…" She was trying to hide a blush. It wasn't quite working. "Just thought I'd give it a try at making chocolate…"

"Oh…well…thanks…" He took it and smiled. "Really, thanks Rukia."

She smiled back. "No problem."

Orihime was a bit sad since Rukia was the first person to give Ichigo chocolate. Tatsuki still urged her to give the chocolate.

"Um…K…Kurosaki-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"I…I made this for you…" She shyly presented the chocolate.

"Oh, thanks Orihime."

He smiled at her and she smiled back, but, for some reason, she felt that the smile wasn't as affectionate as the one he gave Rukia. She also noticed that when he had looked at the small girl, his eyes shone with hidden happiness, and her own eyes sparkled with delight as he happily accepted her Valentine chocolate. Orihime was a bit down, but at least he took the chocolate.

Renji himself had gotten a few chocolates already, but none from Kim. She hadn't given anybody any chocolate, except chocolate to her brothers who ate it in a flash. _Guess the chocolate she bought the other day was for them._

Every boy had received at least one chocolate this year, including the more studious ones, so nobody was left out. Now, it was just time for White Day to see which one of the girls would be the most victorious in receiving Valentines.

--

It was after school, and the boys had eaten all of their chocolate so far. Most of the students had left. Renji stood with Kim at the library since she was checking out books. "I'm gonna go to the front desk and check these out, ok?"

"Alright."

He leaned against the wall until he heard a "Psst."

"Hmm?" He looked around and saw somebody's hand motioning him outside. He was curious so he walked outside, and found Ami waiting for him.

"Oh…hey…you're…that girl Ami…right?"

"Yes, I am. I didn't want to give you this in front of Kawasaki." She handed him a bag of chocolate, the bag sporting an elegant design on it.

"Oh…well, thanks."

"Don't mention it. See…I was just a bit embarrassed to give it to you earlier…since…I usually don't give out chocolates to just anybody…"

"What do you mean?"

"I only give out chocolates to those who I like."

"What?"

Ami saw Kimiko coming. "Well, I gotta go Renji. I'll see you tomorrow at school." She winked as a goodbye and left. He looked at the bag and opened it, taking out a piece of chocolate and tasting it. It was very good. "Wow…this is some fine chocolate."

"Renji."

He turned around. "Oh hey Kim."

"Who were you talking to?"

"That Ami girl."

Kim's eyes narrowed a bit. "What did she want?"

"Oh she gave me some chocolate, that's all."

"Really…?"

"Yeah…?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, let's go home."

Renji found it suspicious how Kimiko started to act just then. It seemed like she was being protective or something.

--

When they got home to the apartment, her brothers were already home, eating their own chocolate they received from girls.

"Hello neechan, Renji-niisan!" they said simultaneously.

"Hello. How was your day at school?"

"Oh it was awesome," said Keitaro. "We got a lot of chocolate this year!"

"Yup! But we ate it in a flash. Heh." Hiroshi scratched the back of his head.

"That's good. Did you already eat the chocolate I gave you?"

"Mm hmm."

She shook her head with a smile. "Finished your homework?"

"Yes we did!"

"Mind helping me with dinner then?"

"Ok neechan!"

The twins began to take out the cooking utensils after washing their hands. Renji finished his homework today, surprisingly, and sat down on the couch. He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.

Kimiko walked up to him.

"Oh…you want me to help you in the kitchen Kim?"

"No…"

"Um…ok…then what?"

She had something hidden behind her back. "Whattcha got there?"

"This is for you Renji." She handed him a bag of chocolate. It was red, and had pink and gold hearts on it, tied with a sparkly ribbon. She had really taken the time to decorate it.

Renji looked at her a bit surprised, and then opened the bag. Kimiko had made him a chocolate heart and when he tasted it, it was the best tasting chocolate he had ever eaten. "Kim…this…wow…this tastes great!"

She smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

He looked at her. "Yeah, I really do. Out of all the chocolates, I love yours the best. I can tell you took some time with this."

Kimiko's cheeks were turning pink. "Oh…well yes…I mean, I don't know if you heard me in homeroom a while back, but I said that giving Valentines should be truthful, and given to those you really care about, not the whole class. And well…I gave some to my brothers because I love my little siblings…and I gave one to you…because…well…" She looked a bit embarrassed. "You're one of the few people who have truly been there for me, and I appreciate it very much. You're a good friend Renji, and I decided that…you deserve a Valentine…"

The redhead looked at the girl before him, whose cheeks were now turning a deeper shade of pink. "I need to help my brothers with dinner. Since it's Valentine's Day, I have a lot of ingredients to make a wonderful meal. Would you like that?"

He smiled again. "Yes, I'd like it very much actually."

Her face shone with happiness. "Oh ok! Guess I better start making it then huh?" She walked to the small kitchen to help with the dinner.

Renji looked at the chocolate. It was a very nice gift. Sure Rukia and Orihime had given him one too, as well as various other girls including Ami, but Kimiko's felt more special to him for some unexplainable reason. He could tell she made this with compassion. "Heh. I'm not gonna share this one with anybody. Kim made it for me, and so I'll be the only one to eat it."

He took a bite of the chocolate again. It was very tasty, but he didn't want to spoil his appetite. Kimiko was making a Valentine's dinner for everyone after all.

"Hey people! What's up?" Kiki came running to the living room, followed by Nova. They were in their plushie forms. "Happy Valentine's Day!" She climbed up the couch and sat next to Renji. "So hot stuff, got any Valentines for me?"

"Kiki, you have to wait until March for White Day. And besides, I don't plan on getting you anything."

"You're mean!"

Renji just smiled and continued to watch TV. He knew what White Day was. The guys who received chocolate on Valentine's Day were supposed to give the girls something back, but two times better. He didn't have much money to spend. He'd probably give Rukia and Orihime a plushie or something, and perfume for Matsumoto (he didn't dare to eat her chocolate this year), but he had something else in mind for Kimiko.

It wouldn't exactly be romantic…no…it wouldn't be at all actually. But he felt that she'd still appreciate his White Day gift. Hopefully she'd like it.

--

A month later, on March 14th, was White Day. And that meant that the Queen of Hearts contest was going to start.

"Oh I'm so excited!" exclaimed Orihime. She was always eager to see what girl would win in the contest.

"But Kim isn't," Tatsuki said. She looked at her classmate who was sitting at her desk, reading a biology book. She wanted to be ahead today when her biology period came.

"Orihime-chaaaaan!"

The girl felt somebody glomp her from behind, and wrap their arms around her waist.

"Oh Chizuru-chan!"

Tatsuki yanked the lesbian off her best friend. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Hugging Orihime-chan of course!" She took out something from her bag. "Orihime-chan, this is for you!" It was a teddy bear holding a heart.

"Oh, thank you Chizuru-chan! It's so lovely!"

"I'm so glad you like it! I would have given Tatsuki one too…but she'd probably rip it up, and I'm not gonna waste my money!"

She spotted Kimiko sitting at her desk, all by herself. "Oh, good morning Kimi-chan!"

The girl looked up at her classmate. "Hello Chizuru."

"Here, I got this for you."

She handed Kimiko a bunny plush that had a heart-shaped belly. On it said "Some Bunny Loves You!" in kanji.

"Er…thanks. But you do know I didn't get you anything right?"

"Oh yeah I know that! But I wouldn't want you to be lonely! Everybody needs to have a gift!"

She smiled. "Thanks Chizuru."

"So does that mean you'll consider going out with me then Kimi-chan?" said the redheaded girl in a seductive voice. "We'll have lots of fun together, I can assure you."

"No Chizuru. I don't go that way. You know that."

She shrugged. "Can't blame a girl for trying. But just you watch Kimi-chan. One day, you and Orihime-chan shall be mine! Same goes for Kuchiki-chan!"

Kimiko just shook her head with a smile on her face. "These people…"

The door opened and in stepped Ami, who had a few boys following her, ranging from nerds to jocks.

Tatsuki put her hands on her hips. "Well…I can feel that Ami is going to start claiming her title as the Queen of Hearts…again."

"Attention class!" shouted the girl. "The contest has officially begun! Whoever has the most gifts by the end of the day is the winner! But nobody should be surprised if it's me of course."

Rukia had stood quiet watching all of this, sitting down next to Ichigo. "Ichigo, I still do not understand the way your school works."

"Yeah neither do I. But, I think the contest is pointless."

"Oh good. Then I guess we're on the same page."

The strawberry had just remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here." He took out a present that he had in his book bag. "It's not much, but Happy Valentines—er…White Day Rukia."

The small girl took the present and opened it. Her eyes sparkled for a bit. Inside were three things: a shoujo manga, a bracelet, and a bunny plush. "Ichigo…I don't know what to say…"

"You don't have to say anything. Just take it. Sorry I couldn't get you something more extravagant."

"No, it's alright. I like it very much. Thank you." She smiled sweetly at him, and he just grinned.

Orihime watched from afar, a bit sad. Ichigo had given her a necklace, but seeing Rukia with a present such as that, made her feel…inferior. "No Orihime. Snap out of it. Be happy that Kurosaki-kun even gave you anything!" She scolded herself for thinking negatively.

Toushirou was busy writing something in his notebook, when his eyes were covered with hands, and the back of his head was squeezed against a large bust. A vein of irritation appeared on his head.

"Taichoooooou."

"What could you possibly want _now_ Matsumoto?"

"Do you have anything for me on White Day?"

He sighed and removed her hands from his face. "Yes I suppose so. But you're gonna have to wait until we return to Inoue's apartment."

"Oh ok! Say, I wonder how Ikkaku and Yumichika are doing? They've been on missions left and right."

"Who knows? I just wish I could have returned to Soul Society with them. Lucky for Keigo that his spiritual pressure isn't as grand anymore. But unfortunately with the rest of our acquaintances, theirs keeps increasing."

The white haired boy looked at Matsumoto's desk. "You sure have a lot of gifts Matsumoto."

"Oh I know! I got a lot from boys who I didn't even give chocolate too! Amazing huh?"

"Yes, astounding."

--

It was the last period of the day, and everybody had biology together. Kimiko thought it was all just a huge coincidence.

"Ahem," said Ami as she stood in front of the class. The teacher just stood by idly watching.

"I would like to announce the results of this year's Queen of Hearts! Ok, now I have a list of the girls who have gotten the most gifts on White Day."

She took a chalk and began to write on the board. "Last place was Tatsuki."

There were some gasps. "Tatsuki got gifts?!"

A death glare was sent in the direction of the voices. The class settled down.

"Next was Chizuru…who…rejected all the gifts the boys gave her…"

"Of course I rejected! I'm not interested in men! How many times must I keep reminding everyone!?"

"Yes well…next was Rukia. Hmm…not bad I suppose."

Rukia looked at Ichigo in shock. "I can't believe I actually got a place!"

"The only reason you got a place Rukia was due to the fact you got gifts from guys that thought you were cute."

"Is that why you gave me my gift?"

"What? No of course not!"

"So then you're saying I'm ugly?" She crossed her arms.

Ichigo facepalmed. "Nevermind…"

"After Kuchiki, we have Orihime."

"Yay!" She shot her arms up in the air. "Hee hee! I got to be on the list!"

"Then we have…Matsumoto."

"Did you hear that taichou?!" She grabbed him by the shoulders. "I'm in second place!"

"Yes Matsumoto, I know--"

"Oh I'm so happy!" She grabbed Toushirou and gave him a huge hug. Her large bust was suffocating him.

"Matsumoto…get off!" said he in his muffled voice.

Some of the guys had comedic tears flowing from their eyes. They really wished they were in Toushirou's position.

"And last but certainly not least, me!" She giggled. "It looks like I win again! Ha ha! I am victorious!"

She heard a snicker from the back of the room. She looked over and found it to belong to Kimiko. "Something the matter Kawasaki?"

Kimiko raised an eyebrow and gave half a smile. "You sound so proud of yourself, like if you just performed heart surgery. Please, winning a frivolous contest such as this will not help you in any way in the near future."

Ami stomped her foot and marched over to Kimiko's desk. Renji was sitting right next to her, and he had a feeling that this wasn't going to go so well.

"Care to run that by me again Kawasaki?"

She crossed her arms. "Wow, you're stupid and deaf. Amazing. If it weren't for your looks and false charm, you wouldn't even be here right now."

"How dare you talk to me that way!"

"I can talk to you in any way I want. You're not the empress or anything."

"Hmph. You're just jealous because you didn't receive anything today, except for that rabbit plush, which by the way, was given to you by a lesbian." She smiled and shook her head. "How sad. You're so undesirable that only homosexual females would like you. Don't get all depressed because you didn't receive a single gift from a male. But that just goes to show what kind of person you are. You're a nerdy and unattractive high school girl, who wouldn't even look nice in a mini skirt. Even Tatsuki received more gifts than you, and she's more aggressive! Hmm. Even your friend Renji over there gave me a gift."

Kimiko looked at Renji with shock written all over her face. "Renji?"

"Hey, she gave me chocolate and I just thought that I should get her something too. Don't take it the wrong way!"

Ami smirked. "You didn't even receive a gift from Renji, and he's the closest person to you in this school. So so sad." She gave a chuckle. "It hurts to be the ugly sister doesn't it?"

Kimiko stood up and faced Ami, her hands clenched into fists.

"Aww, you're mad again. Gonna hit me? Go ahead. You'll get suspended for the fourth time this school year."

Kimiko just stared at her angrily, her amber eyes burning with hate. She grabbed a vile, not really knowing what was in it, and splashed it all over Ami's shirt.

"Ah! What did you do?!"

"Hey, the boys are enjoying it. They can see through your uniform you slut."

Ami turned around and the boys quickly dug their faces into their textbooks. Amazing how the teacher just stood there, sitting and internally enjoying this whole scenario.

"How dare you violate me like that! You better thank your lucky stars that it was just water."

Kimiko looked at the sticker on the vile. "Actually, this label says it was filled with tadpoles. Oops."

Ami screamed and looked at her shirt and skirt. She saw a few tadpoles stuck on her clothing, and some on the floor beneath her. The class began to laugh.

"You're going to rue this day Kawasaki! RUE IT!" Ami ran out of the classroom and to the bathroom.

Kimiko picked up the remaining tadpoles with a paper towel, immediately putting them back in the vile. "Sorry about that little ones. You were the closest things I had as a weapon."

Tatsuki walked over to her, chuckling. "Good one Kim."

"Thanks. I wouldn't let her talk to me like that." She walked up to the board and erased the list. "This whole contest thing really is stupid." Facing the class, she continued. "It doesn't matter if you got any gifts or not. I have a feeling that there is someone out there who would like you for you. They may not be the best looking person in the world, but they'll appreciate who you are. I strongly believe in that theory, and I know all of you will find it to be true someday. Honestly, I don't care if I get any gifts. But I do appreciate the ones I did receive. So thanks Chizuru."

She smiled brightly. "Does this mean that--"

"No Chizuru…I still will not even consider being your date…"

"I will keep trying Kimi-chan! I'm determined!"

Kimiko turned to the teacher. "Sensei, please continue with the lesson."

The teacher stood up. "That was a very interesting display Kawasaki-kun. Anyway, try not to do it again."

Kimiko bowed and returned to her desk.

"Now class, let's resume our lesson."

The girl sat back down in her seat, and Renji just looked at her.

"Something wrong Renji?"

"No."

"Then why do you keep staring?"

"It's because…for a second there…you seemed really bothered by what Ami had said."

"Well I wasn't."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Renji. Now pay attention."

"Kim…is there something you're hiding from me?"

"Abarai-kun! Stop talking and pay attention! This is why you get low scores on your quizzes!"

"Eh…sorry sensei…"

--

The final bell rang, and all the students were happy to get out of school for the day. Matsumoto and Orihime were still beaming. They were really happy they got on the list.

"Does this mean I'm the second most popular girl?" Matsumoto asked aloud.

Kimiko heard her. "No, it just means you're the second most attractive female."

"That's still good enough for me!"

"Kawasaki-san," began Orihime. "You…you don't mind that you weren't on the list?"

"Nope. I didn't give anybody any chocolate except my brothers." She wasn't going to make it known that she also gave Renji chocolate. "Besides, I told you that the whole contest thing was stupid. They make absolutely no sense."

She walked to her locker to return her school books. Renji stared at her.

"Something wrong Renji?" asked Ichigo.

"I think…Kim is hiding something. I can feel it. But…she doesn't open up to a lot of people…so she's kinda difficult to talk to on a deep emotional level."

"Well, maybe she'll feel like telling you when she's ready. That is, if something is bothering her."

The strawberry turned to Rukia. "We better get going. My little sister wants to make you a special dinner or something for White Day in my place…since she knows I can't cook…"

Rukia smiled and gave a short giggle. "Oh alright Ichigo."

Both of them left home, and Orihime still felt that inferior feeling whenever she looked at Ichigo and Rukia together, at any time of day. It made her a bit sad, and Tatsuki noticed.

"Don't worry Orihime."

"Oh, yeah I know." She regained her happy disposition. "Well, time to head on home! Let's go Toushirou-kun, Matsumoto-san!"

The small captain and his lieutenant followed Orihime back to her apartment. Tatsuki took this time to talk privately with Renji.

"Renji."

"Yeah?"

"I think I may know what is wrong with Kim."

"What do you mean?"

"Look…a lot of people know this…except the classmates we've been with the shortest…"

"Which is?"

"Kim and Ami used to be best friends starting from elementary."

This came as quite a shock to Renji. "Are you…serious?"

"Yes. But…I think that's all I can tell you. Kim gets a little angry when other people give out her whole life story…so when she feels comfortable talking about it…you'll find out more. I gotta go now. I have karate practice today. See you tomorrow! And tell Kim I said bye!"

Renji watched her go, and then started on his way towards Kimiko's locker. He heard a voice behind him. "Hey, Renji."

He turned around. "Oh, it's you Ami."

"Hello. Hey um…can I talk to you next week…at lunch…in privacy?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"But…don't tell Kim alright?"

"Why not?"

"She gets angry if I try to talk to any of her friends…so I've been avoiding you all…"

"Oh…well…alright I guess."

"Thanks Renji! I'll see you tomorrow. Don't forget, we talk next week alright? Bye!"

The redhead looked at Ami leaving. He didn't see how she was an all-around bad person. She just seemed a bit lost in his eyes. "I wonder what she has to say…?"

Kimiko walked up to him. "Ok Renji, I'm ready to go."

"Alright. Say, I have your White Day gift already."

"Oh…well you didn't have to get me anything…"

"Too late. I got it for you already, but you're gonna have to wait until the weekend, ok?"

"Oh…well alright. Whatever you say."

--

It was finally the weekend, and Renji was up early. He decided that it was his turn to make breakfast. The twins were still asleep, as were Kiki and Nova. Kim had gone out for a jog with Tatsuki, like they do every Saturday morning.

The redhead heard the door open and in stepped Kimiko, a bit sweaty, her hair all over the place. She had her jogging outfit on, which was a tank and shorts, along with her tennis shoes.

"Morning Kim."

She stopped briefly as she was taking off her shoes. "Oh, you're up early Renji."

"Yeah, I decided that I should try and make breakfast."

"Well try not to burn the cereal."

"Hey!"

Kimiko laughed. "I'm kidding! Anyway, why are you making breakfast?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. I just felt like making it this morning."

"Oh really?"

Renji smiled at her. "No not really to be honest. It's part of my White Day gift I still haven't given you."

"Like I said, you don't have to give me anything in return. It's not an obligation."

"Yeah I know. But I want to do this. Nobody said I couldn't."

She shook her head and gave a smile. "Alright, whatever. I'm gonna go shower. Are Hiroshi and Keitaro up yet?"

"Nah, they're still sleeping. Kiki and Nova got cold so they joined the twins. Don't worry. They're in their plushie forms."

With that little piece of news in mind, Kimiko retreated to the restroom to shower.

--

After breakfast, the twins and the rest of the occupants complimented Renji's cooking. He had really improved since the last time.

"Ah, it was nothing really."

"You know," began Kiki as she ate more of the omelet. "You seem to cook better when it's for Kim. Strange."

His cheeks turned a bit pink. "No, it's just that I don't want her to criticize me, so I try my best to prove her wrong."

Kiki gave a sly smirk. "Oh really now?"

"Yes really!"

Kimiko tried to ignore the conversation, because she could feel herself blushing slightly.

"Oh, Kim."

"Yeah?"

"We're gonna go to Urahara-san's in a bit."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Renji."

He just smiled and took his dishes to the sink. "Kiki, you're washing the dishes."

"Aww why me?!"

"Because I cooked, the twins always help out with the chores, Nova watches over them, and Kimiko gets money to keep this little apartment."

"Hey! I watch them too!"

"Really? Last Friday I found Nova by himself watching the twins, while you apparently, were at a club."

Kiki stood quiet. "Fine…whatever." She took everyone's dishes and put them in the sink, getting out the wash cloth and soap as she grumbled to herself.

"So should I get ready to go to Urahara-san's or what?" Kimiko asked Renji.

"Yeah. Your brothers can come too, as can Nova and Kiki…that is…if they want."

"Of course we want to go!" the twins said simultaneously.

"Sure. I haven't seen Ririn or Kurodo in a while."

"Yeah whatever…hmph...but first I gotta finish these stupid dishes…"

--

The group walked to Urahara's shop. Jinta and Ururu were sweeping outside.

"Oh, hey Freeloader and friends," was Jinta's greeting.

"Um…good morning Renji…and everyone…" was Ururu's greeting.

"Hey, good morning," Kimiko responded. "Is Urahara-san here?"

"Oh…yes, the boss is in the back of the shop."

Kimiko walked inside, eager to see why she was here. "Urahara-san?"

"Oooooh! Kawasaki-chan! Good morning! And happy late White Day!"

She smiled at him. "Good morning." She bowed. "Renji dragged me over here, but he didn't tell me why."

"He didn't?"

"No."

"Well, I guess that would ruin the surprise…"

"Surprise?"

Renji came in shortly. "This is your White Day gift."

Kimiko raised an eyebrow. "Coming to Urahara-san's shop? I can come here any time…"

Urahara smiled. "No Kawasaki-chan. The reason why Abarai-kun brought you here today…"

"Yes?"

"…was so that you could learn bankai."

--

A portal opened in the sky and out stepped a being clothed in white. He dived down from the blue above and landed in a wooded area. He looked around for a bit, and found that civilization was down a hill.

"So this is Karakura Town huh?"

He had cloaked his spiritual pressure because he knew there were shinigami in this town.

The reason why he was here was strange to him. He looked very young for the kind of being he was. Just recently, memories in the forms of dreams started returning to him, and the two faces he saw, he strangely remembered. He couldn't exactly put his finger on it, but when he saw the two faces of the young women, it felt like he knew them from another time.

"I just know they're here…" He gripped his chest tightly. It hurt him every time he thought about them. But…he enjoyed the pain in a way. Across his face stretched a smile.

"Meh heh heh. I'll find them soon enough. And then…I shall choose which one shall be mine…for eternity…"

* * *

Hmm...yup, so the villain is finally in this story, even though his introduction was brief. And I wonder what Ami has to tell Renji? Hmm. :3

I planned to have a longer Author's Notes section...but I forgot what I was going to say. Ah, but I suppose that's what I get for waiting too long.

P.S. The burn ceral thing is actually an inside joke with my friend. One time she told us that she was trying to make herself breakfast, but she was horrible at cooking, and said "You know, I even burned the ceral. _That's_ how bad I am at cooking..." Ah ha. It was hilarious. XD


	14. Opening Old Wounds

I'm sorry guys...you have all been wanting a new chapter for so long...so let me explain myself. School has tired me out, but luckily this is my last year. Although when I say that...I feel old. -sob- Ah, and another reason why this chapter took long to be submitted was due to my laziness. Oh, and lack of motivation. But I finally got past my writer's block and was able to stitch together this chapter. Uhm, I hope that when you guys finish reading it...it won't sound rushed...

Anyway, this chapter is the climax of the story. From here on in, it's going to be nothing but problems for our protagonist Kimiko. And if you didn't know this already, I find joy in torturing my OCs because...it's just so fun. -evil-

But to be honest with you, when I wrote this chapter, I almost cried. And you'll find out why when you finish it.

Oh, and another thing I forgot to say: this chapter was originally supposed to be posted on Saturday, but because Fanfiction wasn't letting me log in...I couldn't put it up. Today I was finally able to get in here, but NOW another problem has surfaced. I can't submit new documents. RAAAAAGE.

Luckily I already had a document in here, so I just copied and pasted the chapter from my Word document. Ah, so if there's spaces in weird places (lol it rhymed) then you know why...

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. :D

* * *

Opening Old Wounds

"Ban…kai…?"

Urahara smiled. "Yes Kawasaki-chan!" He flipped open his fan. "You're going to learn bankai!"

She turned to look at Renji. "_This_ is my White Day gift?"

"Well gee. Sorry I couldn't get you something extravagant. Don't bite my head off…"

Kimiko smiled. "No, I didn't mean it like that. I guess I just wasn't expecting it."

"Well it sounded like you were angry or something."

"Alrighty," began Urahara. "Shall we go downstairs to the training room?"

--

Kimiko followed Urahara downstairs to the training room. It was very big, just like she had remembered.

"Now then," began hat-and-clogs. "You'll need to be in your shinigami form." He walked up to her and jabbed his cane on her stomach, making her spirit form pull apart from the fleshy body.

"Uhm, Urahara-san? What do I do with my body?"

"Just give it to Kiki. She'll take care of it."

Kiki walked over to Kimiko's bodily shell. The mod soul was in her human form. "Don't you worry Kim. I'll make sure to take care of it while you're training."

"Thanks." She turned to Urahara. "So, how do I achieve bankai?"

"Well, we'll use the same method Ichigo used."

Kimiko turned around and saw Yoruichi walk up to her. "Oh, hello Yoruichi-san."

"Hello Kimiko."

"What method did Ichigo use?"

"This." Yoruichi was holding some sort of humanoid board.

"What is that supposed to do?"

"This is called Tenshintai and it will help you achieve bankai at a faster rate by materializing the soul inside your sword. Why don't you try it out?"

Kimiko unsheathed her sword. "So, what do I do?"

"I want you to stab this thing. That's all you have to do for now." Yoruichi turned to Renji and the others. "If you guys are going to watch, then I suggest you all move a safe distance away."

Renji led the twins a few yards away from where Kimiko was. Nova and Kiki, with Kimiko's body in her arms, followed. Urahara walked over to Yoruichi and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and her response was just as silent as his, so Kimiko couldn't hear what they were talking about.

"Good luck Kawasaki-chaaaan ~ !" said Urahara happily. He waved with his fan and then proceeded to join Renji and the others.

"Alright, now, stab the frame Kimiko."

"Ok."

Kimiko charged at the frame and dug her katana into it. A white light illuminated the area, and when it cleared, a white fox with nine tails stood before Kimiko. The ends of the tails were maroon, and the fox had the same-colored markings on its face. It wore a beaded necklace, and a thick mane of fur surrounded its neck. The ends of its paws were also maroon, and the tip of its ears. It wore some kind of simple headdress adored with various precious stones of vivid colors. Its eyes were lime green, and they even seemed to glow.

The fox walked up to Kimiko. It was very large, about seven feet tall. "Hello Kawasaki Kimiko."

"Are…are you…?"

"Yes, I am the spirit within your katana. I'm Kyuubi."

Renji looked impressed. Kimiko's spirit inside her katana sure was striking. Zabimaru in comparison was like a wasp to a monarch butterfly. The twins looked at the fox. It's white fur looked very soft.

"Oooh, look Keitaro! Nee-chan's sword turned into a fox!"

"Yeah! It's so big!"

"And fluffy-looking!"

"Aww, I wanna pet it!"

"Me too!"

"But I think the fox will get mad if we do that…"

"Yeah…it's probably best if we just watch…"

Kyuubi heard the twins' little conversation and smiled. _Children can be so predictable_, she thought to herself.

Kimiko realized just then that she didn't have a katana. "Kyuubi…?"

"Yes?"

"What happened to my katana?"

"You will have to find it."

"Find it?"

"Yes." Kyuubi looked in a certain direction, and all of a sudden the field was covered with katanas stuck in the ground. "Come."

The fox walked over to the area, Kimiko following close behind. "So, what am I supposed to do?"

"You are to choose a sword and face me."

"Huh?"

"Only one of these is me. If you cannot find that particular sword and face me, then you'll never achieve bankai."

"I get it." Kimiko looked around. "But…there's so many…and with different hilts…I don't know which one is…you…"

"If you cannot find the correct sword before I knock you out, then all of this would have been for nothing." Kyuubi grabbed a fake sword with one of her tails. "Now, choose."

"But I don't know which one--" Kimiko jumped out of the way, for Kyuubi had already brought down the sword.

"Gah! You're starting already?!"

"I do not like to waste time. Now, please, choose a sword."

Kimiko grabbed the nearest one for defense. "I know this isn't Kyuubi, but I need something to protect myself from her while I look for the real one."

Kyuubi swung at Kimiko again, but the girl defended herself with the sword she had in hand. However, she saw that Kyuubi's sword was beginning to cut through Kimiko's and the girl immediately let go of it, jumping out of the way. "I need another one!" She grabbed a sword at random, and charged at Kyuubi.

Urahara was fanning himself. "This is going to take a while," he said to the group. "Abarai-san, why don't you take the twins out somewhere? I'm sure they'll be bored just waiting for their sister to finish fighting."

Renji looked at the twins. "Are you guys bored?"

"Well…" they began in unison. "A little…not that we hate seeing nee-chan train…but…"

The redhead smiled. "I understand."

"Hey! I have an idea!"

Renji turned to Kiki. "What is it?"

"Why don't you take the twins to the arcade?"

"Yeah!" said the boys. "Let's go to the arcade!"

"Oh, well, alright. We'll go to the arcade."

"Yay!"

"Here!" Kiki dug into Kimiko's pockets. "Some money." She handed it to Renji.

"Won't she mind?"

"Nah, I don't think she will. And if she does, just blame me."

"Yeah…ok…"

The twins proceeded back to the upper level, Renji following close behind them. He looked back for a moment when he heard Kimiko and Kyuubi clash with their swords. He gave a faint smile, and began to climb up the ladder.

--

Renji was just leaning against the wall, watching the twins have fun at the arcade. He didn't feel like playing video games at the moment. Something was bothering him. He had this weird gut feeling that something was wrong.

Earlier today…something felt out of place…I don't know why…but…I'm getting this really ominous feeling…

His eyes narrowed. _Could it be…an Arrancar? Nah…I don't think so…but then…what was it?_

Renji's mind wandered, as he got absorbed in his thoughts. _I wonder if Urahara-san and Yoruichi-san will make Kim stronger? I mean…I wouldn't want her to ever fight an Arrancar, but because her spiritual pressure is higher now…she's most likely going to be a target…and at the level she's currently at, she's very weak._

He really didn't know what to make of this. The shinigami gave a sigh and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Renji?"

The redhead turned around. "Hmm?" He looked and saw Ami walking over to him. "Oh, it's you…Ami."

"Hey, Renji. What are you doing here? I never thought I'd see you at the mall."

"Oh…well, I actually I'm just waiting."

"For what?"

"Uhm, well Kim's brothers wanted to come to the arcade, so I decided to bring them here."

"Oh…you mean…Kimiko's twin brothers?"

"Yeah."

Ami stood quiet. "So…you seem to be spending a lot of time with her…"

"Er…yeah…"

"I see…well…have fun. Don't forget. On Monday I wanna talk to you at lunch, ok?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Alright. Later Renji!"

He found it a bit strange that Ami was beginning to converse with him lately. She had never bothered to talk to him before.

"Renji nii-san?"

"Hmm?" He looked down to see the twins staring up at him. "What is it? You guys done playing?"

"Who was that Renji nii-san?"

"Oh, that was…" He knew they disliked Ami, but he didn't want to lie to them. "…Ami."

The twins narrowed their eyes. "What did she want?"

Renji shrugged. "All she said was 'Hi'. That's it."

"Yeah…"

"So…are you guys hungry?"

"Oh, yes! Can we eat fast food again? Don't worry, we'll order this time," Hiroshi said.

"Yeah, since you know, the last time you were struggling," Keitaro added with a snicker.

"Oh quiet…"

--

Yoruichi watched as Kimiko continued fighting off Kyuubi.

"So, how's she doing?"

The feline looked at Kisuke. He had gone upstairs for a while and returned back down.

"Well, she seems to be holding off Kyuubi pretty well. But she still hasn't managed to find the true Kyuubi."

"Maybe she needs to obtain it a different way than Kurosaki-san's."

"Perhaps."

Kimiko's sword flew across the field. She ducked behind a boulder before Kyuubi's blade could slam down on her.

"Damn it…I need to find that sword! Ugh! But…I've tried so hard, and yet I can't find the real Kyuubi." She peeked from the side of the boulder to look at Kyuubi, who had discarded her current sword and switched it with another. Kimiko studied the fox for a few moments, and that's when it hit her.

"Kyuubi always holds a sword with the center tail. She never grabs it with the outermost left or right one, even though it'll be much easier for her to handle. Hmm…I wonder…?"

Kimiko snuck out from behind the boulder, but Kyuubi was much quicker than her, and charged again with a different sword, still holding it with her middle tail. Expecting Kimiko to dodge, Kyuubi ran straight towards her, only to be surprised when the novice shinigami jumped over her, and grabbed the middle tail. The blade fell.

Kyuubi maneuvered Kimiko in front of her face, since the girl was still clinging to the fluffy tail. "Well Kimiko, it looks like you're smarter than I thought."

"Not really. I kept thinking the true Kyuubi was one of the swords, but no matter which one I picked up…they all felt…empty. Like there was no essence to it. Then I noticed that you always protected your middle tail, and that was also the same tail you held the swords with. I actually grabbed your tail on a whim. It was a wild guess."

The fox smiled. "Well, you passed. Do you know what that means?"

"I have an assumption, yes."

Kyuubi gave a chuckled. "You're now able to perform bankai. Great job."

The fox disappeared in a poof of smoke, and mist filled the room, making it difficult to see. Yoruichi smiled.

"She did it. She achieved bankai."

Kisuke was just as happy as she was. He took out his fan. "Yes! Kawasaki-chan did a great job! Just like I knew she would!"

Renji and the twins had finally came back from a day outdoors in civilization, so when they got to the misty setting, they were pretty confused. The twins clung to his jacket so as not to get lost.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Jinta was the first to respond. "Oh, it's you Moocher. Well, Kimiko finally achieved bankai."

"Really?!"

He ran to where Kisuke and Yoruichi were standing. "Is it true!? Did she really--?!"

The man in clogs fanned himself with a smile. "Why yes Abarai-san! Kawasaki-chan finally managed to get to the bankai stage! Now we're just waiting for the mist to clear to see how her bankai looks like!"

Renji waited for everything to be visible. Slowly, the mist receded, and he was able to see some kind of silhouette. When most of the mist had cleared, Kimiko was visible, although her attire was very different.

She looked, in a way, a bit primitive, or as some would call it, "tribal". Her attire consisted of what seemed to be animal skins. Despite this, it still had an air of elegance to it. Her skirt was probably a little bit above her knees, although the left side of it was slightly longer than the right. Her top covered her chest and it tied around her neck. She had a belt on that had small fangs sewed onto it. Her necklace had three claws hanging from it, and her shoes were sandals that tied up a bit above the ankles. Both her arms adorned a simple yet intricate tattoo, and she had a bracelet on each wrist. She also had a kind of jewelry that hung from her forehead. In her right hand, she carried a staff that had a fox skull at the very top, with small strands of fur hanging out from under it.

All in all, she felt very exposed.

"Why must my bankai show so much skin?! I was hoping I'd get flowing robes or something! Not this skimpy little thing!"

Renji would have stared at the new, more-exposed Kimiko for a while longer, but he noticed a being towering over her. Finally when the mist had fully ceased, Kyuubi was sitting right behind her, although this time, she was about seventy feet tall.

The twins' eyes widened when they saw the fox. "Wow, she's even bigger than before!"

Kimiko turned around and looked up at Kyuubi, her mouth open agape a bit as she stared at the creature. "You…you've gotten to be…huge…"

Kyuubi looked down at her. "This is my full potential at bankai."

Renji walked over to her. "Kim…this…this is your bankai?"

"Oh, Renji…uhm…yeah, I guess it is."

"Kyuubi got really large…and you…you're outfit…it's…uhm…"

"I know…it doesn't fit with my 'style' of fashion…I don't really like it either, but what are you gonna do right?"

The twins chuckled. "Wow nee-chan, you sure look different! Oh and just between you and us, Renji nii-san seems to be eying you more than he did before!"

"Hey!" yelled the redhead. "For the last time, I am _not_ checking out your sister!"

"Then why are you blushing again?"

"Sh-Shut up already!"

The twins only laughed. Kimiko tried to ignore their little conversation.

Kisuke walked over to them, clapping. "Good job Kawasaki-chan! You managed to achieve bankai! Faster than Kurosaki-san might I add!"

"Thanks."

"Now all you have to do is learn how to control it. That'll take longer than achieving this stage, but I have confidence in you!" He shot a fist up in the air.

Kimiko smiled. "Thanks. That means a lot. Uhm…now…how do I get back to my normal form again?"

--

Kimiko rested for the remainder of the weekend. She had gotten fatigued from fighting Kyuubi in order to achieve a higher level. She didn't really feel like going to school on Monday, but she didn't want to miss any lessons either.

Renji talked to Kimiko about bankai on the way to school. He had told her it took shinigami a while to fully control it, which may even take years to master. But then he said Ichigo got the hang of it pretty quickly, so he guessed that maybe Kimiko would be the same.

"Do you really think I'd be able to master bankai as fast as Ichigo?"

"It's possible. I mean, you have his potential."

"Renji, may I ask you something?"

"Go for it."

"Is there a way for me to control my inner Hollow? Because I don't want it emerging when I'm practicing my bankai."

Renji was silent for a moment, and then said, "Yeah, there's a way, otherwise Ichigo wouldn't have gotten as good as he did, but unfortunately I don't know how to help you with that…"

"That's alright. I'll just ask Ichigo myself."

The two got to the main school building and entered, heading towards their first period.

--

It was lunch, and Kimiko was sitting with Tatsuki and the other girls.

"Wow Kim, you look really tired," she said.

"Eh, I was just exercising a lot this weekend. I like to stay in shape."

"Heh. Such an over-achiever. We have karate after school today. Are you up for it?"

"Of course I am. My brothers already know I have practice, so they're just going to go straight home."

As Kimiko continued conversing with Tatsuki, Renji remembered that he had to find Ami. She said she had wanted to talk with him at lunch. He got up, and began to walk away from the table.

"Where're you going Renji?" asked Ichigo.

"I gotta go to the bathroom." He thought it would be best if he didn't tell anyone that he was going to speak with Ami.

The redhead opened the door and walked out into the hallway. He looked around to see if Ami was nearby, and that's when he heard somebody shout "Hey!"

He turned around, and saw Ami running towards him. "Renji! I'm so glad you remembered!"

"Yeah…"

"Oh, so yes…that talk I wanted to speak to you about…"

He waited for her to continue her sentence.

"I wanna talk to you about Kimiko…"

"Huh? Why?"

"Well…I don't know if you know this or not but…I…well, we used to be best friends…"

"Really?" He already knew this since Tatsuki had told him, but he decided to play along.

"Yeah. We were so close…and then…man it's such a stupid reason to sever our friendship over…but we broke apart because of a guy…"

Renji didn't know that. He thought it was just because the two girls were growing up and had different interests. "Over…a guy?"

"Yeah. You see, when we started middle school, we were still very good friends, ever since elementary. But then that's when the problems started happening. As you know, when a person starts to get older, around their preteen years…they start to develop crushes and become interested in the opposite sex. Well, that's what was happening to us. Unfortunately, we both liked the same guy, but just never made it noticeable to anyone or to each other. Actually, at first the two of us were good friends with said guy, and we used to do a lot of things together, like hang out at the mall or go to an amusement park. But…the more we got to know him, the more we began to see him as more than just a friend…

Eventually, both of us confessed to him separately, and he was really confused. He didn't know what to do. So when we found out from him that both of us were infatuated with him, we started to have problems. Kimiko and I had this really big argument about who could be his girlfriend, and we tried so hard to reach that goal. In the end though…he chose Kimiko…"

Renji was at a loss for words. He was certain that it would've been Ami who would have gotten the guy.

"He told me that she was just really down to earth and an interesting person. He liked how studious she was and how she had so much knowledge. I became deeply disappointed and it hurt for a long while. After that, Kimiko stopped hanging out with me because she got so absorbed in her school work and the guy…so, I decided that it was best to just let her be and not try and bother her. And…I only act like a jerk towards her because…I…it's hard to forgive her…I thought she was a better person than that…I thought…even though she got the guy…she would try to resolve our situation and still be friends…but…I guess I was wrong…"

The redhead looked at Ami. Her face looked very sad. "But, things got better for me and everything. I started to meet new friends, and eventually I had a few boyfriends…so…life was starting to look up for me. I think Kimiko…well, once she has something that she really cherishes, she tries so hard to make sure it doesn't escape her grasp. That's why she and that guy were always together and avoiding me. She cared about him so much and didn't want anybody to try and steal him away from her."

"Kim…was really like that back then?"

"People change over time Renji. Believe it or not, that was how Kimiko acted when we were younger."

"What happened to the guy?"

"He moved, because his brother was having problems at school, so his parents decided to switch cities. Kimiko was so sad when he left. Even though I was still hurt with her, I tried to talk to her in secrecy, since I understood her pain…I mean, I still liked the guy too so…I knew how she felt. But all she did was cry, and after that, I hardly ever spoke to her again. She'd isolate herself and just study. He was really important to her. I gave up, because she was just too stubborn, and I didn't wanna deal with it any longer. Well, I turned out better. I have a lot more friends because I'm social, got me a few boyfriends in the past, and I just really like my life right now. Kimiko…she still studies and aces everything…but…when I look at her, she seems empty. And, if you're wondering why I'm telling you all of this…it's because…I felt like you should know why our bond has been broken."

"Oh, well…thanks for telling me. I appreciate it." He smiled and her, and she smiled back.

"Hey uhm…Renji…there's…there's gonna be a party one of my friends is having…and…well my stupid boyfriend dumped me…for some other chick…so…I was wondering…if you wanted to go...I-I know it may sound like you're a substitute, b-but I really would just to like to get to know you better…honest."

Renji looked at the blonde girl who was facing the ground, a bit embarrassed. "Well, alright. I'll go with you."

"Oh thank you so much! But…uhm…don't tell Kimiko…I don't want her to get angry with you for hanging out with me…"

"I won't."

"Okay. Well, it was nice talking to you. Maybe we can do this again later this week, you know, to get to know each other. You can never have too many friends!" She gave a giggle and then waved at him, walking back down the hallway.

As he headed towards the cafeteria, Renji began to really question Kimiko's behavior. _Ami doesn't seem like a bad person…she's only a jerk to Kimiko because Kimiko was a bit of a jerk to her…and she doesn't want to talk to her because she's afraid Kimiko will tell her something…_

He walked through the doors and sat down back at the table where Ichigo was at.

"You sure took a long time in the bathroom Renji."

"Well, when you've gotta go, you've gotta go." He knew this sounded weird, but that was the only excuse he could think of.

Kimiko glanced at Renji from across the room, very suspicious of him.

--

"So…" began Kimiko as she and Renji walked home. "Where'd you go at lunch?"

"Huh? Oh, to the bathroom."

"It takes you that long to do your business?"

"Everybody's different…"

She blinked, and said "Yes…of…course…"

For the remainder of the day, Kimiko didn't talk much to Renji, which was starting to really bother him. But he decided to just stay quiet and converse with the twins instead.

While Renji was preparing his 'bed' on the couch, Kimiko walked up to him. She was in her pajamas. "Renji, can I talk to you?"

"Oh, yeah I guess."

"What were you really doing at lunch? I can tell you didn't go to the bathroom, because nobody ever takes that long. Did you meet somebody on the way over there?"

"No."

"Don't lie to me Renji. I can tell you're being untruthful."

He sighed. "Ok fine…I was…talking to Ami."

"Why?"

At that moment, Kimiko's voice became very stern, and she sounded overprotective.

"She just wanted to talk…"

"About _what_?"

He didn't know if he should tell her or not, but as long as she didn't know about him going to a party with Ami, it should be alright. "About how you two stopped being friends."

"She told you? How much did she tell you?"

"Everything I needed to know really. You two used to be close in elementary, and then things changed when you entered middle school. That's a brief summary."

"Well I want to know the details."

"But I'm tired…"

Kimiko sighed, and said "Fine, you can tell me tomorrow. But I won't leave you alone until you tell me everything she told you."

"Yeah whatever…" He didn't feel like cooperating at the moment. He was a bit upset because Kimiko kept trying to pry.

"Goodnight."

She left to her room, and today was the first time she didn't bother to kiss Renji on the head before leaving.

He had a bad feeling things were just going to get worse.

--

The next day, Kimiko kept pestering Renji to tell her what it was exactly that Ami had told him.

"Kim, calm down. Why are you so freaked out about this whole thing?"

"I want to know what she said!"

"Well I'll tell you at lunch or something, but not now! I'm trying to do my work."

Kimiko huffed, and continued writing down notes. Renji was starting to get a bit annoyed as to how the girl was acting. It felt like there was a big secret behind all of it.

When it was time to eat lunch, Kimiko didn't give Renji even a millisecond to get a head start to the cafeteria. "Renji, I want to know. Now."

"Can I at least eat first?"

"No, I wanna know now!" She grabbed his arm and dragged him to an empty hallway. "Good. Nobody's here. Now tell me, what did you an Ami talk about yesterday?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes! That's why I've been nagging you this whole day!"

He sighed, and began to explain everything, minus the bit about the party. "There, that's everything she said."

Kimiko stood quiet for a moment, and then spoke up. "Lies."

"Huh? I told you everything she told me!"

"No not you! Her! About half her story is fake!"

"How can it be fake?! Why would she lie about something this important?!"

"Because that's how she is! She's a conniving little blonde bitch and I hate her!"

"Then why did you two used to be such good friends?!"

"That was back then, and this is now!"

"Kim, can't you see she really wants to be your friend again?"

"No she doesn't! She's just trying to get you on her side!"

"_Side_? Is this a battle now or what?!"

"It kinda is, yes! It's been like this ever since we broke apart! I don't want you talking to her anymore."

"Are you my mother now or what? I can talk to whoever the hell I want."

"As long as it's not her!"

"Kim, just because she's not your friend doesn't mean I can't be her friend!"

"Renji, just please, stay away from her!"

"No."

"What?"

"Kim, I really think she wants to be your friend again. You weren't the one who saw how sad her face was. It looked really sincere."

"That's a load of bullcrap! Sincere nothing! She's lying to you Renji! Lying!"

Everybody who knows Renji knows that his temper is just as short as Ichigo's, if not a bit shorter. "Kim, will you just shut up?!"

She was taken aback by his outburst.

"Look, I know you two have had your really bad moments, but come _on_! Give me a fricken break! That's all in the past and you keep worrying about it! You know something? I bet that story _is_ true, and the reason why you're panicking about it is because Ami wasn't lying when she told me that piece of information, and you didn't want anybody to know about it."

"Brainwashed already! My God, you're even dumber than I thought Renji!"

"And now you're rambling on about something else?! Why don't you just let me talk to Ami whenever I please?!"

"You just can't! You don't know her like I do!"

"Apparently you don't know her well enough. She's changed Kimiko, but you won't even give her the time of day to explain herself! You know something, she's right. You are possessive."

"Possessive…_possessive_? You think I'm _possessive_?!"

"Yeah I do! You never wanna let go of anybody close to you because you're too afraid about losing them! Well guess what Kimiko? Everybody moves on in life at one point or another, so you're gonna learn how to get over it somehow! You cling to them because you're afraid that they'll be the only thing you'll ever have! Well that's not true. You should learn how to make more friends and stop being so damn paranoid of people! Yeah they can hurt sometimes, but oh well right? That's life! So stop being such a jerk and let me do whatever I want! You should try being more social and have a wide range of friends! Why can't you be more like Ami?!"

Kimiko stared at him, a bit shocked. Then, after a very awkward pause, she said "Fine. You want more freedom? I'll give you more freedom. I'll give you so much freedom that it'll kill you! And for starters, I'll let you go. That's right. I'm kicking your out of my house! By the time you get home, all of your stuff will be outside the door! Go back to Urahara-san's place! Apparently _he_ isn't _possessive_ of people. And talk to Ami! I don't give a shit anymore. It's your damn life, not mine! It was nice knowing ya, but now it's time to say goodbye! I have shinigami powers now, so I don't need you or any of your shinigami friends to protect my brothers and me! I DON'T NEED ANYBODY!"

She walked away in a rage, leaving Renji very pissed. "FINE! Be that way! Be a stubborn bitch like you always were!"

He stormed towards the cafeteria and slammed the door open, the other students shocked at the loud noise. He got his food and sat down at Ichigo's table, the latter looking at him curiously. "Hey Renji…why're you--"

"I'm eating! Shut up!"

--

The bell rang, and the school day was over. Kimiko hurriedly walked to her locker and put away all the books she didn't need. Like always, she finished her homework before it was even time to go home, so she didn't need anything. She was going to be busy packing Renji's things anyway. She didn't like that she had to do it for him, but she wanted him out of her house as soon as possible.

She ignored everybody, even Tatsuki and Orihime who tried to greet her, as she began to walk out of the hallway.

Renji was equally upset. "That bitch…kicking me out after everything I've done for her. She's so stubborn! Argh!"

"Renji?"

"What?!" But he calmed down, noticing he was talking to Ami. "Oh…hey…"

"It's Kimiko isn't it?"

"Yeah and?"

"She wanted you to tell her everything I told you…huh?"

"Yes."

"Y-You didn't tell her about the party right?!"

"Don't worry about that. I didn't mention it to her. But that's fine anyway because I don't have to explain anything to her! It's not like she's my wife or something! Damn it, it's my fricken life and I can live it however I want! She can't tell me what to do!"

"Renji, please calm down!" She put a hand on his arm. "I know you're upset, but…Kimiko is too…"

"You really know a lot about Kimiko, don't you Ami?"

"Yes. I _was_ her best friend after all…" She looked down at the ground, and then back up at Renji. "I'm sorry about all of this…I shouldn't have said anything…"

"No, it's fine. I'm glad you told me. And you're right. Kimiko doesn't like to let go of people. She _is_ possessive, no matter how many times she tries to deny it."

"I still feel bad though…"

"Don't worry about it. Maybe she'll finally learn to stop being so stubborn and lighten up a bit. She needs a lot of that." He sounded very grumpy.

"Renji…"

"Yes?"

"I…" Her cheeks were turning pink. "The reason why I told you that story…was not just so you could understand why Kimiko and I are no longer friends…but…it's because…I…I really like you, and I felt that you should know the truth. I knew Kimiko wasn't going to do it…so…I felt that you needed to hear it from the other person…me…"

"You…like…me?"

"Uhm…y-yes…I've seen you a lot in class, trying so hard to get good grades, and you're really good at physical education class…plus I think you're funny…and really something to look at. Oh! I…I shouldn't have said that last part, but while we're being honest…I just…felt like I should let you know…uhm…I know you don't feel the same way about me Renji. I mean, I barely started talking to you, but…even though I seem like a confident person, when it comes to things like these…I get really shy trying to talk to a person I have deep feelings for…and…well, now I'm just blabbing. Heh heh. Sorry."

"I…I didn't know you felt that way about me Ami…"

"I do, and I still feel really bad about you and Kim fighting…"

"I told you to stop worrying about it. I'll be fine."

"I know. But…I want to be that friend…that friend to fill the void…even if it takes a while."

He smiled at her. "Well, you can never have too many friends."

Ami beamed, and then giggled. "Thank you!" She hugged him, and he patted her head.

The girl looked up at him as he looked down at her. Her blush was getting deeper, but she still stood there, looking at his face. She inched closer to him, and before he knew it, her lips made contact with his. He was shocked. He had never kissed anybody before, not even anybody in Soul Society. Her kiss felt gentle and not rushed or passionate, like he's seen so many times in movies. Eventually, he found himself returning the kiss, softly placing his hands on her hips, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Kimiko stormed through the hallway, about to exit, when she caught sight of a combination of red and yellow hair. She looked to her left, and her eyes widened. She saw Renji and Ami sharing their affectionate moment in what was supposed to be privacy.

At that moment, she felt her heart shatter into pieces. She tried not to cry. She tried really hard, clenching her fists as she walked out of the building.

Walking at a fast rate, ignoring everybody as they passed by her, she arrived at her apartment and frantically took out the keys, trying to unlock the door. She slammed it open and got all of Renji's stuff, shoving them into a box and tossed it out in front of the door.

Just then, the twins were coming home from school. Seeing Renji's stuff outside had them worried. "Nee-chan?"

"That asshole! How could he do something like that!?" She finally took out everything that belonged to Renji, and dropped it next to the box.

"Nee-chan?" the twins tried again, slowly closing the door behind them. "Is…everything…ok?"

"I hate him. I HATE HIM! And I hate HER so much more! They're all idiots! ALL OF THEM!"

Kiki and Nova hadn't said anything when Kimiko got home, but they crawled behind the twins, who picked them up and carried them in their arms. All four of them have never seen the girl in such a mad frenzy.

"Nee…chan…?"

"K…Kimiko…?"

"I hope I never see him again…NEVER! I don't need him…I DON'T NEED ANYBODY!" She slammed the door to her room, and flopped onto her bed, punching the poor mattress. Eventually, she got tired, and her expression changed from that of anger, to complete and utter sadness. The girl began to sob, and finally, the tears fell from her eyes, dripping down her cheeks. She dug her face into her pillow, and just cried, the pain in her heart too much to bear without shedding tears.

The twins had opened the door a tiny bit to see their older sibling crying. They had never seen her this sad before. They closed the door, and walked over to the couch, sitting down.

Keitaro spoke first. "It happened…again…"

"I know…" replied Hiroshi. "I…I really thought he'd be the one for nee-chan…"

"But that's what we thought before about that other guy, remember?"

"True…but Keitaro…I can't hate Renji nii-san…"

"I know…it's hard for me too…"

"Do you think…we should try and help…instead of hate?"

"I don't know anymore Hiroshi…I think…this time…we should just stay out of nee-chan's business…"

"You're probably right…"

--

For the next few days, Kimiko began to isolate herself again from everybody else, worrying Tatsuki.

"What the hell did you do to her?!"

"Huh? To who?"

"You know damn well who Renji! What did you do to Kimiko?!"

"Nothing! We had an argument, and then she got all pissed off for no good reason! She's so stubborn! Well, if she won't even look at me, then why should I even try to resolve the situation?"

Tatsuki was at a loss for words. She was so upset right now, that she just shooed her hand at Renji and sat back down. She was going to find out what went wrong. She knew it had something to do with Ami, because the other day, she had seen them kissing in a secluded spot in the school.

Her expression changed from frustrated, to complete worry. Tatsuki knew how Kimiko felt. Her friend had grown very attached to Renji, and now this had to happen. She knew Kimiko loved him, no matter how many times the girl denied her emotions. She put her head in her hands, and sighed.

"Not again…she's going to keep other people blocked out…Kim…maybe…just unfortunate things like to weigh themselves down on her…"

--

The studious Kimiko finished checking out books for her weekend homework after school on Friday. Tatsuki had invited her to come with Orihime, Rukia, Matsumoto, and the other girls to go have a pizza somewhere, but she declined, saying she wanted to get a head start on an essay she had to write.

Kimiko had said she was going to go straight home, but honestly, she didn't feel like going home right now. Just seeing Kiki and Nova reminded her of Renji. Walking out of the main building, she saw Renji and Ami talking, laughing. They looked really happy. But her heart was shot with another arrow when she saw them kiss again. The whole thing looked romantic with the sun setting and everything. She saw him hold her hand, as he began to walk her home.

"He doesn't need me to survive in this world anymore…he's…already grown accustomed to it…and…he looks so happy with her…maybe...I should just…leave him be…"

With a cloud of despair looming over her head, Kimiko walked away from the school, going in no particular direction, just walking around Karakura.

Nightfall had covered the skies, and the girl found herself walking towards the park. Her brothers were at a friend's house, because they were going to go to a museum with their friend and his parents. He had invited the boys over, and Kimiko let them go.

She sat down on a park bench, alone in the darkness, with a single lamp illuminating the quiet area. She began to sob, her hands closed into fists on her lap. She watched the tears stain her gray skirt, making dark, moist spots on it. She put a hand to her chest, and clutched her shirt.

Her heart hurt. A lot. It felt severely broken. She didn't even know why she had to feel that stupid emotion called love. She didn't know why people even needed it. All it did was hurt others. But then again, it also cured others. She was not one of those people who were cured by love. She was one of those unfortunate people who got crushed by it, over and over again.

"I'm so stupid…how could I ever think…that…he would be different than the rest…? How could I…? They've always loved her…she had personality…beauty…charm…all I've ever had was brains…she's fun…and social…I'm boring…and quiet…aggressive…foul mouthed…ugly…" She gave a big sob and covered her face with her hands. "Ami got everything…she still has both her parents…she still has friends…and she learned how to maintain her grades…she always gets the cleaner cut of life…mine has just been…"

She couldn't even talk to herself because her sobs were drowning out her words. Her heart kept hurting. She clutched her chest again, but this time with both hands. It felt like it was bleeding.

"What's the matter? Why is a girl like you all by her lonesome this late at night? On a Friday nonetheless?"

Kimiko looked to her side, and saw guy standing beside the bench. He was dressed strangely. His attire consisted mostly of white.

"Go away."

"Mm…nah, I don't think I will."

"Just go away…please…"

"Oh ok. I'll go, but you're coming with me."

Kimiko looked up and him, and when she saw his face, the pupils in her eyes shrank.

"Now c'mere."

--

It was late in the evening, about eleven or so, and Renji was at Urahara's Shop, eating some sweets Ami had bought him. She was actually a very delightful person. Suddenly, his cellphone began to beep, and he looked at it.

"Arrancar?!"

A wave of spiritual energy flowed through the area. He got a call from Toushirou, and he immediately answered it.

"Abarai!"

"I know, we've got Arrancar to deal with!"

"Not only that."

"What?"

"I had Matsumoto check for all the spiritual pressures associated with us."

"And?"

"Kimiko's wasn't present."

"Are you sure?!"

"Yes. I analyzed the situation, finding out if she was at home or not. Her apartment was absent of everybody. Apparently the twin brothers are safe somewhere with their friends and have the Mod Souls with them. So going by that, I have come to this conclusion…"

Renji began to inwardly panic.

"I think she's been kidnapped."

* * *

Poor poor _poor_ Kimiko. Her fragile little heart was broken into a bazillion pieces. She never gets cut any slack, does she? The poor thing can only endure so much...

Bear with me here people if I got Kyuubi's appearance wrong, because I think I had posted what she looked like in a previous chapter, but I don't wanna change it. :P

I actually had to go back to the Bleach manga to find out what that board was called, the one Yoruichi used to train Ichigo.

Hmm...I bet you're all curious as to what is going to happen next? Well...sorry to say...but you might have to wait a little while longer for that, because I need to update my DeiOC fic...and then I'm gonna start another fanfiction...although this time it's going to be a Death Note one...ah, revolving around Matt and another OC I'm making...I create so many OCs...my God. Anyway, the Death Note fic I'm going to post up on my LiveJournal account because my friend wants to read it and she doesn't have a Fanfiction account so...

Speaking of LiveJournal, I put a link to it on my profile. So if any of you are interested in reading my entries, just click on it or send me a message on that site. I'd like to read some of your stuff too! ;D

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a literary analysis essay to complete...ugh...I hate homework...


	15. A Hole For a Heart

I know it's been a while guys. But...well I've just been tired and not up for writing more chapters because of what's happening in real life. Plus I had writer's block again, but luckily I was able to get through it.

So in apology, I'll make the author's note short, and give you a nice long chapter as compensation.

* * *

A Hole For a Heart

"Kidnapped?! What do you mean kidnapped?!"

"It means what it means Abarai."

"But…are you sure?"

"Yes. We couldn't detect her spiritual pressure. And what's worse, is that this involves your new girlfriend too."

"Don't tell me…"

"She's been kidnapped too."

"But how do you even know?!"

"Abarai, we keep tabs on those people close to our small group of shinigami. Since Ami is your girlfriend, her spiritual pressure has risen slightly so she is more noticeable to Hollows and Arrancar. We also checked because that huge wave of spiritual energy that occurred only a few moments ago was caused by an Arrancar."

"Are you certain Hitsugaya-taichou?"

"Yes, I am. Now I suggest we stop talking and go to the place where the spiritual pressure was detected."

"Alright. Do you want me to tell Ichigo?"

"I had Matsumoto contact him. We'll meet at the park. That's where Kimiko's spiritual pressure disappeared."

"Okay. I'll be there as soon as possible." He hung up his cell phone and popped a soul candy into his mouth. His shinigami form tore out of his body and he ran to the area where he felt the spiritual pressure come from.

"First Kim…and now Ami…"

--

When Renji arrived at the scene of the crime, the others were already waiting for him. Toushirou was the first to speak up. "Abarai."

"Is this where she disappeared?"

"Yes. When we got here, all that was found was her schoolbag. But that's about it."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"We can just wait for the Arrancar."

Renji turned to Ishida. "Wait? What do you mean wait? Kimiko and Ami's lives are in danger!"

"No, Ishida is correct. I have a feeling that if we wait here, we'll find the two girls quicker."

"But--"

"Abarai, trust me on this."

The group waited for a while, eventually getting bored and sitting down on the bench or leaning against it.

"Why are we still waiting?!" exclaimed Renji. "Something terrible could have happened to Kimiko and Ami!" Just as soon as he finished, another strong wave of spiritual pressure blew into the area.

"Come!" said Toushirou as he began to sprint off in the direction it came from. "It seems to be coming from another part of the park!"

--

The group searched everywhere around the park, but nothing could be found. Renji was starting to stress himself out. "Damn! Where did it come from!?"

"Hey."

Renji looked at Ichigo. "What?"

Ichigo pointed to a cave. "I bet that's where they are. It's a typical villainous hideout, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess."

The group walked into the cave, but all was quiet.

"Do you really think there's anything in here?" asked Matsumoto.

"I was just guessing, but considering the kinds of villains we've been going up against, I think it's safe to say that this isn't the last place they'd hide at."

"Well, this seems like a big cave, so why don't we split up?"

"There is no need to," said Toushirou. "Only one Arrancar has been detected and I doubt it's a rank higher than the ones we've come face to face with already."

Rukia had been walking around, trying to find any clues to the whereabouts of the Arrancar or the two girls. "There's nothing here…" She looked behind a few boulders and continued wandering, until she came to a dead end with a ledge at the very top. Her eyes widened when she looked up and immediately ran back to Ichigo and the others.

"I think I found them!"

"What?!" said Renji. "Where?!"

"This way!"

The group followed Rukia and when she got to the dead end, she pointed up. Toushirou's eyes dilated. "What…what on earth are those?!"

Hanging near the ledge of the cliff on both sides were pods, pods big enough to hold a human inside. It was transparent, allowing the group to see exactly what it contained. Unsurprisingly, there were humans in each pod, who just so happened to be Kimiko and Ami, the latter in her pajamas and the former still in her school uniform. They were unconscious.

"Kim!" shouted Renji. "Ami!"

Kimiko slowly opened her eyes and when she saw she was hanging from the ceiling, she looked down to see the shinigami looking up at her. "Where…what happened?"

Ami slowly opened her eyes, but when she did, she was a lot less calm than Kimiko. She immediately began to panic with a jump as she woke. She slowly put her hands on the sides of the pod. "What…what am I doing in this thing?! What is it?! Where am I?!" She looked to her left and saw Kimiko in the other pod, who was now trying to kick open a side. "Kawasaki?"

The girl turned to her right and saw Ami. "What's Ami doing here? I don't think she has shinigami abilities…as far as I know at least. What happened anyway?" She tried to remember anything before she was kidnapped, and that's when it hit her. "That face…the guy dressed in white…"

"Kim! Ami!" shouted Renji again. The blonde looked down to see her boyfriend, but she was a bit confused as to why he was dressed so old-fashioned.

"Renji!" she cried. "Please help me! I-I don't know what's going on!"

"Don't worry, I'll get you out of there!"

"Woah hold the phone now!" said a voice.

The group looked up to the ledge and indeed, there was an Arrancar perched at the top. Ami looked worriedly at him, but when she studied his face, her expression was plastered with shock. "Wh-what? N-No…that's not…that's not possible!"

Kimiko turned to the Arrancar wondering why Ami was speaking with such disbelief, but when she did, she remembered yet again. "It's him…it's…it's really him…but…how?"

The Arrancar chuckled at the girls' devastation. "Bet you weren't expecting me back so soon, huh ladies?" He looked down towards the shinigami. "So, I assume you're here to rescue your damsels in distress right?"

Renji growled. "Just who the hell are you?!"

"Oh, right. I forgot to introduce myself. The name's Riko Rizzo. How ya doin'?"

"Don't talk casually with me!"

Riko chuckled. "You're pretty aggressive aren't you?" Renji glared at the Arrancar, who really did not look much older than the girls. He had black spiky hair and icy blue eyes. His Arrancar outfit looked very modern, truth be told, aside from the pants and the shoes. He had a sleeveless top and vest of the same fashion. His Hollow mask consisted of two circular parts that covered his ears, almost resembling headphones. In the center of each bone was an antennae that looked similar to the ones on huge satellite dishes.

"What business do you have here?! Are you under Aizen's orders?!"

"Hmm? Aizen? Oh you mean that one guy who creates more and more Arrancar? Nah, I'm not here under his orders. I'm not actually supposed to be here at all."

"Then why _are_ you?!"

"My boss let me come here."

"You're boss? I thought you just said Aizen--"

"No! Not him! My boss is an Espada. You know, in the top ten? Yeah, to be honest, I was his first ever apprentice, but I can guess why. He's not very emotional. Hmm. No, wrong word. What I meant to say is that he doesn't show any kind of emotion. It's like he's lacking it or something. And those piercing green eyes of his…" Riko shuddered. "It's like he can see right through you or something. If you stare at him hard enough, he looks like a weeping cat or something, especially with that pale white skin of his."

Orihime gave a small gasp. "You mean…you mean Ulquiorra?"

"Oh, you know him sweet thing? Well yeah, that's my boss. He doesn't like me much though. Everyone can tell. He says I'm very rambunctious and my mannerisms are atrocious. But whatever. He let me come here."

"Why?"

"Glad you asked doll face. It's story time!" He sat down, with one leg still bent, his arm propped on top of it. "Well it goes like this. Hueco Mundo is pretty boring, and the same goes for the Arrancar there. So one day in my state of boredom, I happened to fall asleep, and as I was dreaming, I kept seeing faces. Faces of two people I had met somewhere before, but I didn't know anything about them. All I knew was that I knew them, though from where I was unsure. Every single time I fell asleep after that, I started to hear their voices. That's when I knew they were both girls. But I didn't know a single fact about 'em still. I tried to continue falling asleep so more would come to me. Slowly I began to have fragments of memory return to me, though they were always in small portions. I began to patch them up together to see if they'd make a bigger picture, you know, like a puzzle.

Sure enough I was right. Turns out those two girls used to be really close to me some time ago. I was curious so I asked Ulqui about it, and he doesn't like it when I call him that either. But yeah, I asked him about it, and he said I was regaining my memory of when I was alive in the material world, though if that was a good thing or a bad thing, I couldn't tell. He's a jerk like that, leaving me in suspense and not informing me of anything. So every night before I went to bed, I'd train super hard so I could have nice long slumbers so as to regain my memory. And before I knew it, I remembered who those faces were. I remembered being alive in the human world. I remember going to school, laughing, having fun, and all that jazz. Only thing…I couldn't remember my own name still, nor the names of the two girls. But ever since you came here and shouted at them, I know for certain now."

Rico looked to his right. "You're Ami." He looked to his left. "And you're Kimiko." He smiled. "Yeah, I remember both of you real good now. But I wonder…do you truly remember who I am?" He gave a smirk.

Kimiko looked serious. "How can you expect me not to remember who you are? Your Arrancar name may be Riko Rizzo, but I know for a fact, that when you were human, your name was Shigeru Yamada."

"Oh! So _that_ was my human name! Sounds pretty cool. Thanks for telling me."

Kimiko did not smile, even though he did. Rico looked towards Ami. "So baby cakes, did you miss me?"

Ami began to tear up. "What…what happened to you? You look so…so different. You…your eyes…it's like…there is nothing behind them. It's like you have…no soul…"

Rico laughed. "That may be true, considering the fact I have no heart and I'm technically dead! Ha ha!"

Renji was getting frustrated. "Enough fooling around!" He charged at Rico with Zabimaru already sheathed and in shikai form. As he was about to slice, Riko said, "Woah, now hold on man." He jumped up and slammed his foot into the redhead's face, knocking him back down to the ground with a slam. "Let's not be so hasty."

"Let them go!" Renji shouted as he stood up again. "What do you even want with them?!"

"Weren't you listening to my friggin story?! Man, how rude. Well, since you popped the question, I guess I better tell ya." He crossed his arms. "I want them."

"What?"

"It means what it means."

Toushirou blinked briefly. _I said that earlier…_

"You see, I felt very empty and alone back in Hueco Mundo. The chicks there are scary and pretty much whorebags, so I didn't wanna mess with them. Well, except that babe Espada, but she's way outta my league, plus she can pretty much kick my ass and I didn't want that! Ha! But anyway, I decided to come back for what's rightfully mine."

"Rightfully _yours_? What are you talking about?!"

"These two gals used to be my closest friends back in the day, and I want them back, to fill that empty void. Sure I can just eat their souls, but why waste such beautiful fleshy vessels right? Besides, I'm sure Aizen will let me turn them into Arrancar like myself…if I can figure out how that is…"

"Well I won't let you do that!"

Riko smiled. "Alright alright. I get ya. Tell ya what? I'll let you take one of them."

"What?!"

"I know guys like you, wanting to be the hero and everything. I'll let you rescue one of them, and I won't bother you anymore."

"One of them?! They're both important!"

"Really? Because last time I checked, one was your girlfriend, and the other was, what did you use? Oh yeah. The other was a 'stubborn bitch' if I remember correctly."

Rukia looked shocked and turned to Renji with anger in her face. "_What_ did you call Kimiko?"

He ignored her and instead said, "Bankai!" Smoke filled the area and Hihio Zabimaru appeared.

"Renji! Do you need back--"

"No Ichigo. I'm going to do this myself."

"But Ren--"

"I said I'll do this myself!"

He glared up at Riko who continued to give an obnoxious smirk. Then he looked to the Arrancar's right, and then to his left. He had an idea, but he had to be extremely fast and precise about it, otherwise he'll have to go through a lot if his plan didn't go accordingly.

He swung Hihio Zabimaru and it snaked its way around the cave, appearing on Ami's right. Then swiftly, it darted at the pod, breaking it and Ami falling from her elevated position. As she screamed, Matsumoto jumped up and grabbed her before she fell and hurt herself. Hihio Zabimaru did not stop once Ami was free. He continued to dart toward Kimiko's pod and was about to release her, but Riko intervened.

"Hey, I said only ONE!" He kicked the giant creature upward, causing it to crash into the ceiling of the cave.

Kimiko was flabbergasted. She couldn't believe that Renji had decided to save Ami instead of her. After everything she had done for him, he was not grateful for it. She clenched her fists. "Renji…that…that bastard!" She wasn't given enough time for second thoughts. Riko tore through her pod and grabbed her, bringing her to the ledge with him.

"Well," he said to Renji. "Now I know who's more important and who isn't. I'll just be taking my prize then." His fist glowed and he punched Kimiko in the stomach, her shinigami form bursting out of her body. Her fleshy vessel fell limp to the floor, and Riko held Kimiko's shinigami in his arms. She was unconscious.

"This has been very fun," he said. "And hey, you get to keep her physical body as a souvenir! See? We both win! Well I'll see you guys later, or never. I plan to return back to Hueco Mundo with Kimiko soon. Nice meeting ya!" He disappeared just as the cave began to shake.

"No!" Renji shouted. "Damn it!"

Boulders began to fall from the ceiling. He avoided all of them and grabbed Kimiko's physical being, returning Zabimaru to its katana form. "We need to get out of here!"

The group ran as fast as they could out of the cave, just as the rocks began slamming into the ground behind them. Once they were out, Matsumoto put Ami on the ground. She seemed to be traumatized.

"What…what…" She looked at everyone, extreme disbelief evident on her face. "What are you people?!"

Toushirou didn't want to bother explaining. "Matsumoto, erase her memory."

"Yes taichou."

"No!" She ran to Renji and hugged him tightly. "Renji, they're you're friends. Please don't let them erase my memory!"

He put a hand on her head. "Sorry, but--"

"No! I need to know what's going on! Why did Shigeru suddenly appear?! He's supposed to be dead, not alive!"

"Hitsugaya-taichou," Rukia began. "Let's not erase her memory just yet. She might be able to help us with this situation. She's the only one who knows anything about this Shigeru person at the moment."

"You have a point." He turned to Ami. "We will not erase your memory, but only under one condition: you must tell us everything you know about this Shigeru Yamada."

"Y-Yes, of course!"

--

They were in Urahara's Shop, Ami still traumatized. Ririn occupied Kimiko's body so as to keep it healthy and functional. Ami felt a bit strange seeing Kimiko, knowing that it wasn't really her, but merely her flesh.

"Ami," Toushirou started as he looked at her seriously. "Shigeru--"

"Wait! Before you start, I want to know what exactly is going on! What are you people? What happened to Shigeru? And why…why did he want Kimiko and myself?"

"Rest assured, we will tell you everything you need to know once you help us out first."

Ami looked at her lap disappointingly, and sighed. "Alright. It was…about…a few years ago…around three or so. It was the summer before we were to enter high school. Kimiko was Shigeru's girlfriend still back then, and I was merely an old acquaintance. Well, one day, he came up to me and said that he'd like to reaffirm the bond we used to have before. I told him it was pointless, because Kimiko would only try to keep me away from him. He said that he'd talk to her to make her understand. I kept on refusing, because I knew how stubborn Kimiko was and how possessive she was of him as well, but even so, I went along with it. I agreed to just talk with him privately without Kimiko's consent.

We just talked of little things in the beginning, and then our conversations grew longer and longer. I was…well you see, both Kimiko and I had a crush on him when we entered middle school, and we used to be best friends, but because of our deep love for him, our relationship as friends was severed, and that's why we dislike each other today. Shigeru…he liked Kimiko more than a friend because how she was so realistic and down to earth. I was more frivolous so I wasn't that attractive to him, since that's how he was too, and…well opposites attract like they say. Well anyway, Kimiko had found out we were talking to each other, and she got extremely angry. She and Shigeru had a huge fight, telling her that she was too possessive and controlling and that she needed to calm down and stop being so paranoid. She didn't take it well.

Shigeru then told her that if she couldn't accept the both of us being friends, then he didn't want to be her boyfriend anymore if this was how she was going to act. That was the last time Kimiko saw him, and it was also the last time I saw him. The next day, we found out from the news about a car crash. A boy was hit and died instantly. Turns out…that boy…was Shigeru. Both of us were devastated, even more so when his mother called both of our households. That confirmed it. He was gone…gone forever. Neither of us would ever see him again."

She looked up at Toushirou. "There. I told you what I thought was necessary for you to know. That's how Shigeru died. Now tell me what's going on!"

Toushirou looked at Matsumoto but she said nothing. Renji spoke. "Taichou, I think it's only fair for Ami to know why Shigeru is 'alive' in her perspective."

"We already involved Kimiko in this long ago. I don't want Ami having to be another victim to the danger we face as shinigami of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

"She deserves to know, Hitsugaya-taichou."

Sighing in frustration, Toushirou looked at Ami. "Shigeru is not alive, even though that's how he appears. He is dead, but not quite. It's difficult to explain, and I'd really rather you not know about the whole situation. But because you have now become involved in this, it only seems logical for me to explain it to you."

He proceeded to tell her what Arrancar and Hollows were, and what he and the rest of the group were. He told them their jobs as shinigami and vaguely told her about Aizen and the situation with Hueco Mundo.

"So…Shigeru…his soul was eaten by a Hollow?"

"Yes. That car crash wasn't an accident most likely."

"Hey," Ichigo said. "Orihime, isn't that how you got yourself hurt in the street?"

"Oh, yes. I thought it was a car that hit me, but it wasn't until later I found out it was actually a Hollow. I just…couldn't see it at the time."

Ami blinked. "Really? But…I've never seen a Hollow."

"And you don't want to."

The blonde turned around and found Kisuke walking toward them. "They're dangerous creatures and quite ugly. You probably wouldn't be able to stand the sight of them if you ever saw one. Though, it's not unlikely now since you can see Abarai-san and the rest of his friends in their true forms."

Kisuke looked at Toushirou. "How are you going to get Kawasaki-chan back? You can't just leave her in the hands of that Arrancar. Her brothers aren't old enough to take care of themselves yet, physically and mentally. And she has no relatives alive, at least not ones living near this area or living in this country." He then looked at Renji, who blinked.

"Huh?"

"I'm talking to you Abarai-san. This is mainly your fault, so now you have to take most of the responsibility. What are you doing to do about it?"

"I'm trying to figure something out."

"Well you better hurry." He took out his paper fan and began to fan himself. "That Arrancar won't stay here for long. He's going to take Kawasaki-chan back with him to Hueco Mundo. She'll become an Arrancar, lose her heart, and all her memories of ever being a human. Then we will have no choice but to kill her when the time comes. And when it does, I'm not going to slay her. I don't think any of us will want to slay her." He closed his fan.

"You're the one who allowed her to become captured by the enemy. Therefore, it will be your job to kill her when she's turned into an Arrancar and becomes our opponent."

Renji didn't know how to respond. He didn't want to kill Kimiko. He didn't want her to become an Arrancar. "But…I…I can't--"

"You shall."

"No! I won't--!"

"You will have to kill her Abarai-san if you can't save her before it's too late."

Renji covered his face with his hands in frustration. He really had no idea on how he was going to save Kimiko. First of all, he didn't know where Riko would be at, and secondly, he didn't know how strong this new enemy was. Riko hadn't used a sword at all to fight Renji, but merely used his physical strength. Though, if Riko was a subordinate to Ulquiorra, he couldn't be _that_ strong, so Renji still had a chance to defeat him.

The redhead got up and began walking out the door. Ichigo followed after him.

"You ok?"

"Does it _look_ like I'm ok?"

"Well gee you don't have to snap at me."

"Sorry Ichigo. I'm just…"

"I know. But hey…" He put his hand on his shoulder. "We'll rescue Kim. Don't think you have to do this by yourself."

"But this all happened because of me in the first place."

"Well not really. It happened because Toushirou allowed her to become a shinigami, then Kisuke trained her, not to mention we all filled her in on shinigami tips. So technically we're all at fault here."

"Even though this probably sounds wrong, I'm glad we're all to blame in this situation."

Ichigo laughed. "Yeah well, what are you gonna do right? Anyway, there has to be some way we can locate Riko's spiritual pressure."

"I think it'll be easier than we thought."

The two turned around and found Toushirou walking up to them. "From what it appeared like to me, this Arrancar Riko seems to have a playful nature. He said he'll be leaving to Hueco Mundo 'soon' not 'right away' which I'm guessing is a challenge."

"Challenge?"

"Even though he said he came here to retrieve one of the girls for his own, I believe he was somehow tricked into coming here by Aizen, though not directly."

"So what you're saying taichou…is that he's just another test subject without knowing it?"

"More than likely yes. There's a small chance he just came here for Kimiko or Ami. Even so, I believe it will be much simpler to locate him."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"We don't know the extent of his power so I don't think splitting up will be a good idea. We'll have to stick together this time."

Renji was reassured after Ichigo and Toushirou had talked to him, but he still had doubts. Nevertheless, he was going to rescue Kimiko from this new Arrancar threat, no matter what the cost.

--

Riko rested against a stone slab on the outside of a mountain wall crevice, looking up at the stars in the night sky. "Wow, the material world is great. You have a lot of pretty things here," he said to Kimiko. "Don't you agree?"

She didn't respond. Riko just chuckled. "Oh yeah, I forgot. You're pretty much out of it right now." Indeed she was. Kimiko looked broken and uncaring in her current state. The moment Riko punched her in the stomach to release her shinigami form from her body, she had been like a vegetable. She didn't even have her shinigami attire on, but a simple white yukata, much like the one Rukia had worn back in Soul Society when she was to be executed.

"Sad how that redheaded guy thought you were less important huh? But that's alright. There's always going to be people who don't think you matter. Not to worry though. Pretty soon, once you become an Arrancar, you'll forget all about your life here, friendships and all. No one will miss you. But look at the bright side. You'll be with me, and I'll give you all the love you want. It's what you originally desired anyway right?"

Kimiko was still unresponsive. Riko just smiled. "Don't you worry. I'll make you strong, and you won't ever have to worry about anyone breaking your heart again. I guess part of the reason is because you won't even have a heart anymore! Ha!"

He stopped talking because he noticed that the spiritual pressures of the shinigami were approaching. "Well well. Looks like we have guests." He walked through the crevice and told Kimiko, "Just stay put. I'll handle this."

Riko appeared on the other side of the small mountain and looked down at his guests, literally. "You all found me again huh? Came to rescue the scrappy?"

"She isn't a scrappy!" Renji shouted.

The Arrancar shrugged. "Well that's how you treated her. I assumed she was like scrap metal now."

Renji just glared at him, which only make Riko smirk. "I've been keeping an eye on Kimiko ever since I came to the human world, and I know what happened. You hooked up with her high school rival leaving her very upset, and then stopped caring about her because somebody else was in her place. It's like you tossed her aside or something. But that's ok. One man's trash is another man's treasure."

"She is not trash!"

"Temper, _temper_!" He crossed his arms. "I can't wait to make her an Arrancar. Then she'll be all mine forever and ever. She'll lose every single one of her memories so it'll be like she's starting life all over. And her Hollow hole will be in the same exact location as mine."

"What?"

Riko unzipped his vest and moved the left side so Renji and the rest could clearly see it. "My hole is right here."

"That's…where…"

"Yup, that's where the heart would go. I came up with a theory that an Arrancar's cause of death when they were human determines where their Hollow hole is. I died in a car crash, but my heart had been broken before that, so that's why it's here. And Kim? Well, she'll die of a broken heart too, so it'll be in the same exact location. Lovely isn't it? We'll be a pair!"

"Enough!" Renji unsheathed his sword. "Howl, Zabimaru!" It converted to its shikai form, and Renji immediately attacked Riko, who dodged.

"I wasn't even finished with what I had to say!"

"I don't want to hear any more of your bullshit!"

Ichigo seemed worried. "Renji! You don't even know what kind of abilities he has!"

"Stay out of this Ichigo! Didn't you hear Urahara-san? It's my fault Kimiko got kidnapped, so it's my responsibility!"

"But--!"

Matsumoto put a hand on his shoulder. "Just leave him Ichigo. If things really do get bad, then we'll intervene. It's no use trying to outmatch his stubbornness."

Ichigo gave a worried look but said nothing in response. He just decided to leave everything to Renji. He understood how he felt. It was a bit nostalgic. It brought back memories of when he had to save Rukia from a somewhat similar situation.

Renji wasn't getting anywhere. He kept attacking Riko but the latter continued to dodge. "Man, you're not even letting me hit you back! There's no time to retaliate!" Talking wasn't such a good idea, because whatever words came out of Riko's mouth only made Renji angrier. Finally the Arrancar was hit on the left side of his torso, causing blood to splat onto the ground beneath him.

"Argh! Damn it that hurts! Ugh!" He put his hand over his open wound. "I've never gotten attacked before. Man…" It seemed to Renji and everyone else that he didn't know how to fight, but it was understandable since he wasn't an Arrancar, or even a Hollow, for very long. He only died about three years ago.

"You're not very strong," said Renji. "This will make things much easier then."

Riko gave a sly smile. "Yeah, I'm not strong. At least…not in this form."

"What?"

"Control, Extraterrestre."

Smoke blew into the battlefield where Riko had stood, and when it cleared, his appearance had altered. His mask covered more of his face, at least from the forehead up making it look like a crest, and his hair grew a bit longer and was spiked even more. He had claws and a thick heavy tail, which swayed tauntingly. The antennas that were on the side of his head had altered upward and were longer. His feet had claws on them as well and he bore menacing-looking fangs. His pupils were slits now and the irises were such a bright yellow that they glowed. Around his eyes were futuristic markings. The rest of his body was armored and it fit his structure smoothly. In short, he didn't look too far off from an alien.

"Well," he said as he spoke. His voice changed as well: it was as if two people with different tones of voice were speaking at once. "I'm assuming you're expecting me to fight you, right?"

Renji was flabbergasted. Riko's appearance was definitely out of this world.

"Ha ha ha! The look on your face! I know you think I'm probably a monstrosity, but that's alright. I think I look pretty kick-ass for an Arrancar. Usually Arrancar are supposed to have animal-like release forms, but I'm an exception. My release form resembles the appearance of an alien. Pretty sweet huh?" He pointed his finger to Renji and a green beam began to form at the tip.

"Cero."

It shot at Renji at an amazingly high speed. He was barely able to dodge it, his left sleeve being burnt off from the beam.

"Let's see what you've got now shinigami!" Riko dashed at Renji, raising his long sharp claws. The redhead deflected it with Zabimaru, but Riko continued to slash at him. He twirled and slammed his tail across his stomach, making him crash against a nearby tree that snapped in two.

"Are you down already? Well this is no fun at all!" He leaped up into the sky and shot a beam from his mouth at the area where Renji landed. Unfortunately, what Riko thought was smoke from the impact was actually smoke from Renji's zanpaktou. He had went straight to bankai.

"I don't have time to be playing around," he said as he stood up. "I won't let you escape with Kimiko!" He swerved Hihio Zabimaru at Riko who was hit instantly and smothered into the mountain side. He was bleeding heavily as he landed on the ground with a thump. His breathing was labored as he struggled to get up, but only fell on his behind.

"I don't understand how I was able to lose to you before," Renji said as he approached him. "But that doesn't matter anymore. I'm going to right my wrongs."

Riko panted a few times, and then finally began to smile, chuckling. "You really think…it'd be that…easy…to defeat me? There's a reason why I'm…not so strong…or as strong…as others like me you've encountered in the past. I've been…storing my energy somewhere else."

"Somewhere else in your body?"

"Ha, close, but no cigar. I actually stored it…in what will become my ace in the hole."

The antennas on his head began to flash green at a steady pace. It looked like to Renji that he was calling for backup, but no one came. "Where's Kimiko?"

"You…you want her? Then…go get her. But I'm pretty sure by now she'll realize the battle is almost over, so she should be arriving at any moment now to witness the death here…"

Sure enough, Kimiko walked out from the crevice. She still looked broken, with an expressionless face. Her hair wasn't tied in its usual style, or even tied back at all. It just hung loosely down her back and down her shoulders. She also wasn't wearing any kind of footwear.

"Kim!" Renji said happily as he ran to her. "I'm so glad you're safe! Look, I'm sorry about what happened back there with Ami, but I still came to get--"

A hand gripped his throat tightly, and it wasn't until a few seconds after that Renji noticed it was hers. "K-Kim…wh-what are you…" but then he noticed her eyes seemed soulless, and suddenly, the same futuristic markings that appeared around Riko's eyes also appeared on hers.

"N-No…"

She flung him with great velocity down back to the ground, causing a crater in the earth when he crashed. Kimiko jumped down from the ledge and stood in front of Riko, who struggled to get up.

"Heh heh. The reason why I'm not very strong is because almost all of my energy was transferred to Kimiko."

Renji wobbled as he attempted to lift himself from the ground. "But…wh-when…"

"The moment I punched her in the stomach is when my energy transferred to her. And there was a reason I didn't leave right after her capture. I knew you'd try to get her back, so I was curious as to what would happen. Therefore, I stood behind and purposely let my spiritual pressure leak so you could find me again." He smiled. "Alright Kimiko, he's all yours."

Kimiko's zanpaktou appeared in her hand and she unsheathed it, throwing the sheath to the ground. She charged at Renji and nearly sliced him in half if he hadn't rolled out of the way.

"Kim!" He noticed that the markings around her eyes were glowing in the same green light as Riko's antennas. _He's controlling her then. Damn it, what am I supposed to do?!_

"Frustrating isn't it shinigami Renji? The only way you can kill me is if you kill her. You see, the rest of my life energy is inside her. You have destroyed the part that lingered in me, but in order to fully get rid of me, is if you kill the life energy that's inside her as well. What are you going to do?"

Renji kept dodging all of Kimiko's attacks, whether she used her sword or tried to kick or punch him into submission.

"I can't…I can't attack her…"

"And the longer you take, the closer she gets to being a Hollow~!"

"What?!"

Kimiko's mask began to form again and it covered her entire face. She continued to attack Renji simultaneously. She didn't let a single moment be wasted.

"Renji!" cried Rukia. "We have to help him! He can't do everything by himself!"

"We don't have a plan," Toushirou responded. "If we attack Kimiko, it wouldn't have a productive effect. The only way to defeat Riko is to kill her."

"There's absolutely nothing we can do?"

"I'm afraid at this point…there isn't."

Rukia didn't want to kill Kimiko. She didn't want to see her friend's life end so tragically just because she was at the wrong place at the wrong time. But she didn't have any other solution. If she killed Kimiko, or if anybody did really, then Riko would be gone, but then so would she. She'd still have the risk of becoming a Hollow in Hueco Mundo since she was already a shinigami, so her soul particles would go somewhere else more than likely.

Basically, she along with everyone else, were helpless to the situation.

Riko only laughed as Renji continued to dodge, or block with Hihio Zabimaru. "You're wasting a lot of valuable time! Just look at her already!"

Kimiko was almost completely a Hollow at this point. The only part that remained was the arm holding the zanpaktou.

Renji began to panic. _This isn't good. She's almost completely a Hollow! How am I supposed to revert her back to her original state!?_

As soon as that thought finished, Kimiko's right arm Hollowfied. Mist appeared again and when it cleared, the zanpaktou disappeared. Kimiko had turned into her full Hollow form.

Everyone was speechless. They couldn't believe the form that appeared right before their eyes. Her Hollow form was very slender with a feminine structure. It greatly resembled a fox, though the only part that had fur was her tail, and a voluptuous collar around her neck and her bosom, as well as a mane. Her form was completely white, save for the fur which was a maroon color, and a few markings on her body and face. She stood on two legs and her colorless eyes stared at Renji.

"No…" Renji said quietly. "No…it…it can't be…"

Riko looked surprised, but then he began to smile, and finally broke out into maniacal laughter. "Yes! Yessss! It finally happened!" He got up and said, "Kimiko, come to me!"

She walked over to him gracefully and he continued to smile. "You look amazing! Now we can finally return to Hueco Mundo! Gee, I can't wait until--!"

He stopped speaking instantly, for Kimiko had her hand on his head, and dug her claws into it. Green waves began flowing into him.

"Wh-what…wh-what are you…doing?" he said in a horse voice. "Wh-Why…are you transferring…all of my…energy…back to me…?"

The green waves ceased, and Kimiko let go of Riko. She walked a few steps back, and opened up her hand, her palm facing him. A thick blast of red light shot at him, disintegrating him instantly.

"She…" began Uryu. "She defeated him…"

"But look at the cost," Toushirou said. "She…turned into a Hollow." He looked at the ground and clenched his fists. Eventually, he removed his sword from its sheath. "There is…no other option now…"

"Wait! Toushirou! You can't be serious!"

"Kurosaki, there is nothing we can do now."

"There has to be taichou!" cried Rukia. "You can't--!"

"Do you have any other ideas Kuchiki?"

"No sir, but--"

"I understand how you feel, but Urahara said that if Kimiko were to turn into a Hollow…we'd have no choice but to kill her."

"Taichou," Matsumoto said sadly. "Is that really the only way?"

"I'm afraid it is."

"What about what Urahara said…about this situation: if Kimiko does turn into a Hollow, the one who has to take the initiative to kill her is Renji."

"Then so be it." He put away his sword. "We'll let Abarai handle this. And if he can't…it is my job, as a captain and as Kimiko's friend…to take her out myself."

Matsumoto sighed sadly, not because she herself disliked the idea, but because she could tell that Toushirou wasn't a fan of it either. Even though he tried to keep a straight face, she could already see the cloud of despair in his icy blue eyes.

Renji stood up slowly. "Kim…no…Kimiko…"

She began to walk toward him slowly, but then disappeared into thin air. Renji looked around to see where she had gone, and he felt a presence behind him. A kick to the head sent him flying across the battlefield and resulted in crashing into the mountain wall.

Kimiko wasted no time and curled up her fist into a ball, smashing it into the redhead's stomach. He coughed up blood and fell to the ground.

He lifted his head as much as he could, and though his vision was blurred, he glanced at Kimiko with a face full of regret. "Kim…I'm…s-so…sorry this happened…to you…" He didn't want to kill her. No matter what happened to him, he didn't want to kill her. But then what would become of his friends who remained? He didn't want them to get hurt either.

Renji began to lose consciousness, and the last thing he saw was Kimiko's Hollow form staring blankly at him.

--

Kimiko's eyes slowly opened, and it took her a few seconds to realize she was inside her mentality. She was at the spot where she had first met Kyuubi, but something felt out of place.

"Kyuubi?"

"Is that the fox thing that resides in your sword?"

Kimiko turned to the direction of the voice. There was the doppelganger of herself, except she was completely white. "Who are you?"

"Kimiko."

"No, I'm Kimiko."

"But so am I. I'm half of a whole."

"What?"

"Hmm. Even if you get outstanding grades, you're not sounding very smart right about now." She crossed her arms. "Well I'll tell you then. I'm your Hollow form."

"You!"

"Yeah, me."

Kimiko stood up and faced her other self. "Where's Kyuubi?"

"Oh my pet?"

"She is NOT your pet!"

"Yeah she is. See, I have a leash on her." A leash appeared in her hand, and Kimiko's eyes followed it. At the end, was a beaten Kyuubi, who was unresponsive.

"What did you do to her?!"

"She wasn't being an obedient pet, so I taught her a lesson."

"Stop treating her like a pet! Give her back! She's mine!"

"You want her?" A twisted smirk appeared on her face. "Then come and get her."

Kimiko didn't know what to do. She had no way to attack the other Kimiko. She looked around for any kind of weapon, but saw none. Her opponent began materializing a zanpaktou in her right hand.

_Wait, if that thing is me…then I can also…_

Kimiko took a deep breath, and then with all of her will, her zanpaktou formed in her hand. _Yes._

"Looks like you're getting the hang of things here. Let's see if you can apply all your knowledge in the heat of battle!"

Her Hollow self struck her, but she blocked it with her own sword. It was difficult to land a blow on her opponent. She had to keep blocking with her sword, and she couldn't recover in time to switch to offense. Eventually, the other Kimiko was able to land a clean hit, right through the stomach of the original. Kimiko coughed, and blood dripped from her mouth, a pool of it forming inside.

"You just looooove wasting time huh?" said her other self. "That's ok though. Take as long as you want, because it will get much more interesting from here on in. Struggle to survive with this blade in your body. It won't make much of a difference."

"What are you talking about?"

"As we speak, your friend with the red hair is going to continue losing more blood from the wounds you inflicted on him. Your other friends who are on standby won't come near him because your ominous form is towering above his. Pretty soon, I'll give the order to use a Cero on him, and he'll be gone for good. Then I'll go for your friends, and once that's done, your little brothers."

A great big slash appeared across her chest. The enemy jumped back, putting her hand on her large wound to stop the blood from flowing, although it was futile. Kimiko removed the blade from her stomach and tossed it behind her. She grabbed her sword with two hands, and glared at the Hollow Kimiko, panting heavily.

"I…will…NEVER…allow you…to harm my brothers!" She charged at her and struck again, though this time in the opposite direction. "I won't let you kill my friends!" She struck again. "I won't let you take control of my being!" Again. "And I definitely won't let you have Kyuubi!" She slashed Hollow Kimiko in a vertical motion, causing the latter to slump on to the floor.

"Even…tually…" said the Hollow in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "I'll…take over your body…when you…least…expect it. Until you know how to control yourself…you won't be able…to control me…" She began to disintegrate, and the leash along with her. Where she went, Kimiko never knew. She did know she wasn't gone, but at least her Hollow self was dormant now.

The girl fell to her knees, but pushed herself to get back up. Her head was cloudy and her vision was a blur, but she continued walking toward Kyuubi. Kimiko fell to the ground and put her hand on the fox's head.

"Don't…worry…Kyuubi. I won't…ever…let that…happen to you…again…"

--

Toushirou was preparing to strike, for Kimiko's Hollowfied self was forming a Cero in her mouth, aimed directly at Renji.

"I have to stop this!" he said. "Reign over the--!"

Suddenly, the Hollow's Cero died down. An ear-splitting screech erupted from its mouth. It looked like it was in very deep pain as it held its head in agony. The screeching stopped, and little by little, the shell of the Hollow began to break away. What was left, was Kimiko, who slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Toushirou ran over to her, the others following suit.

"Is she okay?!" cried Orihime. Toushirou turned her over, but Kimiko was not bleeding, yet he could tell her condition was fatal.

"I think a lot of damage had been done to her soul, even though it's not visible on the outside. We need to get her to Urahara's shop at once. Abarai too."

"Not to worry."

They all turned around, and saw the ex-Captain behind them, as well as the rest of his crew. "I knew something like this would happen. Let's not waste time. Tessai."

The large man grabbed Renji, and Yoruichi held Kimiko. "Where's the Hollow?"

"Kimiko defeated him," replied Ichigo. "But…"

"Details later. Right now, what's most important is stabilizing their conditions."

--

Renji slowly opened his eyes, and sat up instantly. He clutched his stomach. "Ow…maybe I should have sat up slower…" He looked around and realized he was in his room at Urahara's shop. He slid open the door and walked outside.

Kisuke noticed him. "Ah! Abarai-san! Good morning!" he said with a cheerful voice.

"Urahara-san, what…what happened--"

"Oh, Kawasaki-chan was saved."

"Really? How?"

"She saved herself really, but then again, this isn't very surprising. She is very independent after all."

"Then…she's alright?"

"Yes. She's at her apartment, resting. Yoruichi is with her, attending to her if she needs it."

"Oh. Well…that's good."

"Abarai-san, don't you have somewhere to be today?"

"Huh?"

"You left your cell phone on the table, and it rang, so I picked it up. It was your girlfriend, and she asked if you were alright. I told her what happened, and she asked if you were alright. I said that you'll survive, so then she asked if you were well enough to go to some party in the evening."

"Oh crap the party!"

Kisuke smiled. "You better get to it Abarai-san. I told her that you'd be ready by seven. It's six right now."

"What?!" He rushed back into his room to change, while Kisuke laughed.

"Damn it! Tell me these things sooner!" he said through the door. "Now I'll be late!"

"Ah." He took out his fan. "I really do feel like a father with a teenage boy. How wonderful~!"

--

Renji had been having a great time at the party with Ami. She was very social and introduced him to many people, so he never felt left out. He had completely forgotten the events of the evening before.

"Ugh. Renji, can we go somewhere quiet?"

"Why?"

"Some guy keeps following me around…"

"Isn't that a lot of people?"

Ami laughed. "Oh Renji! But seriously, this guy is pissing me off. He's kinda creepy…"

"Uh, okay."

She smiled and grabbed his hand, taking him to a spare room in the house, closing the door. They sat on the bed, just staring at the ceiling.

"You know what I've noticed? Your friend's house is very large."

Ami laughed. "Yeah I know. She used to be in my class, but then her parents got better jobs, so they took her to a better school. Naturally, she got a bigger house, but luckily we still kept in touch!"

"That's great, still being able to talk to old friends."

"Yup." It was quiet for a moment. "I stay in this room when I sleep over her house."

"Really?"

"Yup. Hey, do you have to be home early?"

"No. My…uhm…uncle--"

"The guy with the hat?"

"Yeah him. He said I can come home whenever I feel like it."

"Oh. Okay." She looked at the ground. "Renji, are you sure you're okay? I mean, from the battle. Your uncle told me about it."

"Yeah I'm fine. Don't worry." He looked at her seriously. "I just don't want you to tell anyone. You have to be absolutely silent about this. Understand?"

"Of course. I won't say anything. But aside from that, I really appreciate what you did for me. You saved my life. Who knows what would have happened if Shigeru got to me…"

"I just didn't want you to get hurt. You didn't deserve…well, you didn't deserve to be abducted for no reason."

"Well, thank you. I really appreciate it. I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"You're welcome."

Ami scooted closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling at him. "I'm glad I met you." She began to kiss him softly and was pleased when he returned the affection. The two stood like that for a good two minutes, until Ami broke the kiss.

"I want to thank you."

"Isn't that what this party was for?"

"I invited you even before I knew you'd save my life. Now, I want to thank you properly." She gave a sly smile and moved to the light, dimming the room.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

"Thanking you properly."

"Ami, I know where this is going and I really don't think we should be doing this."

"But, it's not like you're the one who initiated this."

"Still."

"Please Renji…I want this to be a night to remember…" She kissed him again, although more passionately. "Renji…?"

He looked into her eyes and said, "Alright."

The blonde smiled and continued to kiss him, her hands roaming under his collar, while he helped himself to the skin on her back.

--

It was Monday again, and Kimiko acted like nothing had happened. She went through the day normally. That is, until she heard the usual gossip in one of her class periods.

"What? Are you serious?! Ami really did that?!"

"Yeah! When she went to the party with Renji on Saturday evening, they didn't return to their homes until Sunday morning."

"Then you mean…"

"Yes. They had sexual relations that night."

Kimiko's heart stopped.

"But how do you know for sure?"

"Ami told one of her friends, who told her friends, and etcetera etcetera."

"How do you know it isn't a lie?"

"Because…one of the guys asked Renji about it…and…he didn't deny it. He was angry, but didn't deny it."

"Oh my gosh."

"I know right?"

Kimiko couldn't take it anymore. She ran to the nearest bathroom and closed the door. She leaned against it, dropping her books in the process as she covered her face with her hands. She didn't care if anybody saw her crying anymore. The entire school could witness her crying and she wouldn't care.

She walked unsteadily to the mirror and looked into it, the tears still dripping from her face. "What's wrong with me?" she asked into the glass. "What's wrong with me?!" She punched the mirror, not caring that it cracked. She didn't believe in superstition. She didn't even care that her knuckle was bleeding now.

Kimiko shriveled to the floor, crying her heart out for the thousandth time. Coincidentally, Tatsuki happened to come inside, dusting off her shirt.

"Stupid punk. He thinks he can—Kimiko!" She ran to her. "Oh God! What happened to your hand!?" She noticed the broken mirror. "Kim! What happened?!"

"What's wrong with me?! Tatsuki…what does she have that I _don't_?!"

"Who?"

"Ami! Didn't…didn't you hear what happened?!"

"No, I don't know what you're talking about!"

"They did it! They DID it! They…they went to a party on Saturday, and had sex!"

"What…?"

"Just ask anybody! The whole school knows about it! I…I…I don't know what to do anymore!" She cried into her shoulder.

Tatsuki didn't know how to respond. Even _she_ hadn't heard about this. She placed a hand comfortingly on the crying girl's back and sighed silently.

"Renji, what the hell is wrong with you?" she whispered in an almost inaudible tone.

--

For the remainder of the week, Kimiko completely secluded herself from everyone she used to talk to. She didn't even want to be around Tatsuki, so the only time the latter would see her would be at karate practice, but even then she didn't make any kind of contact.

Kimiko was always hidden during lunch, so nobody knew where she was. Her friends tried to look for her in the library and even under the bleachers, but even in those places she was absent.

Not that the girl wasn't on campus. She just found a very secluded place toward the back of the school. It was under a staircase in a dark and cool place. It was practically a cranny.

Kimiko put her lunch on the ground. She decided to make it herself now every day, so she wouldn't have to go to the cafeteria. With a saddened face, she sat down and unwrapped her sandwich.

"This is an unknown place. Nobody can find me here. And if nobody can find me here, then nobody…" She put the sandwich near her mouth. "…then nobody can hurt me…" She bit into it as tears slowly began to form in her eyes, dropping onto her lap and her sandwich. She swallowed what she had chewed, and let out small sobs, her shoulders trembling a little.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

She gave a small gasp and looked to her left. A boy who looked to be about her age was bending down to look at her, his hand holding onto the outside wall. "What is this place? It's so small. How can you even fit in here? You must be really flexible."

"Go away."

"Aww, come on now. I just want to know what's wrong."

"So you can rub it in my face?"

"Uh…I _really_ have no idea what you're talking about."

"Just leave me alone please. I don't want anybody bothering me." She sniffed and wiped her eyes, but the tear stains were still visible on her cheeks.

"Why won't you tell me what's wrong?"

"For one, I don't even know you, and secondly, it's none of your business. The only reason people would care what's wrong with me is if they wanted to put salt on the wound."

"How do you know I'll be like that?"

"I haven't even seen you around school, so how do I know that you're not here to harm me?"

"Because I wouldn't do that to you. To Ichigo, maybe, but not to you."

"Wait. Hold on. How do you know Ichigo?"

"He's…an old acquaintance."

She studied his features closer, and then asked, "Wait…you know Ichigo. And…going by your appearance…yeah, he told me about you once. He said you helped him control his Hollow inside of him."

"That's right."

"Then…you must be…"

He smiled. "Yup." He tipped his hat to her.

"Shinji Hirako at your service."

* * *

Well I hope this chapter satisfied you. I committed myself to writing a bit of this every day recently, so I was able to get it done by today. Riko Rizzo isn't...a real character, or even a real name. I just came up with it on the fly. Lol His human name Shigeru Yamada is...I made that one up too. Don't ask me what it means because I have absolutely _no_ idea. His release form was fictional as well. "Extraterrestre" is the Spanish word for "extraterrestrial" which is basically an alien. That's just a more formal way of saying it. xD Well, why did I bring Shinji into the story? Hmm, I really don't know. I was bored and wanted to bring in a new canon character. Plus he's one of my favorites. Let's see what I do with him in this story. :3

Also, there's only a few more chapters left, like...perhaps about three or four. This story is almost finished, so I better start working on the ending chapters!

Uhm, I won't say I'll update this story by the end of April, because I really don't know. I'll try to write a little bit every day, for like thirty minutes or so, that way I can get all these fanfictions done by the end of this year! Anyway, if you still read this story, thank you!

And if you don't like it...DON'T READ OR REVIEW IT. c:

P.S. Sorry the battle scenes sucked. I really...well, I'm not that great with writing battle scenes yet...

Oh! And if you wouldn't mind, I have a new poll on my profile, so if you'd take the time to vote on it, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you. ;w;


	16. It Takes Two to Tango

A/N: Guess what? I am not dead! (And thank God for _that_) I just got very busy with offline life. I'm so sorry that I haven't updated this story since last March! orz I have no excuse for this rubbish. Terribly sorry. Well actually…yeah I do, but it's not a good excuse. xD; I have been active here on this site just…not with all of my stories… My Hetalia ones are getting the most attention because…it's my current fandom (and oh boy am I ever absorbed in it…) But then, I said to myself, "My poor older fanfics. I should update them soon…yeah." Thus, your new chapter.

Lol You guys seem to really like Shinji! I read all your comments again recently (which motivated me to write again and stop lagging) and realized that he is an adored character, so yeah. xD

Ah ha, and excuse the very lame title for this chapter. I couldn't think up a better one…

Hope you like this chapter!

* * *

It Takes Two to Tango

"Shinji…Hirako?" Kimiko asked.

"Yup!" He put his hat back on his head. "I decided to drop by this school again, for old time's sake."

"Are you here for Ichigo or something?"

"Hmm? Oh no, I just wanted to visit! Do you mind if I join you in this little cubby hole you have here?"

"I don't mind, but I'm not much of a talker."

Shinji sat down next to her, a little cramped since he was taller. "Well, most people are like that, but if you start asking the shy one questions, they'll get to talking. Let's experiment with this: first off, why are you sitting here all by your lonesome?"

"That's not important."

"Of course it is! Just tell me. I'm sure it can't be something really bad."

"You like to pry don't you?"

Shinji laughed. "Nah, but I do like to know what's going on with the people I know."

"It wouldn't matter to you. It's just something stupid and me getting worked up over nothing."

"I beg to differ."

"You'd only stare and tell me to get over it."

"Try me Kimiko."

She looked at him a little shocked. "How…do you know my name?"

"Oh, a little birdy told me, but ever since I came back here, I know a little thing or two about you." He looked at her. "This is about Renji isn't it?"

"You already know my situation, so I don't see why I have to elaborate."

"True. I just wanted to get you to talk. I like conversing with people."

"Then you should talk to Ichigo." She bit into her sandwich again. "You know him better than I do."

"Ha ha, yeah I guess, but he's not always happy to see me. I think I annoy him or something. But anyway, I _would_ like to know more about _you._"

She turned to him, surprised again. "…why?"

"Why? Why not?"

"I'm not that much of an interesting person."

"Hmm, I don't think so. You've gotta be if you're involved now with shinigami and stuff. Just start off by telling me what you like doing."

"…why are you doing this?"

"Because nobody should be without a friend."

Kimiko looked at him for a moment, no expression on her face. "Okay, I guess I can tell you. Well, for starters, I like cooking for my two little brothers, and just cooking in general. I also like to read books and graphic novels and…practice karate, usually with Tatsuki. I suppose that's about it."

"Do you like going places?"

"I don't get out much."

"Ah, so you're a homebody?"

"Sorta. I basically have no social life whatsoever, so I usually just stay at home cooking, cleaning, or watching TV if I don't feel like reading anything. My brothers always like to hang out with their friends and the mod souls living with us always hang out too."

"So basically you're by yourself every day?"

"Yeah."

"What about holidays or vacations?"

"I have no family here, and I let my brothers go with their friends to places."

"And you just stay at home all by yourself?"

"Pretty much yeah. I told you I wasn't interesting."

"Well, I don't understand why a pretty girl like you wouldn't go out with friends and stuff."

"First off, I have little to no friends and the ones I do have are too busy with their own lives to care about mine. Secondly, I am far from pretty."

"And you think that second statement is true because…?"

Kimiko blinked. "Because it _is_ true."

"Who said so?"

"Ami…bullies…"

"And these are all people who either hate you because they're jealous or because they have emotional problems at home and need to take it out on somebody innocent right?"

The girl was very startled at his response. "…what?"

He laughed. "There is a reason why people are mean to others. They could have an inferiority complex themselves. Kimiko, have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror?"

"Only to put my hair up or when I brush my teeth. Otherwise, no I haven't."

"You should. You're not ugly like you believe you are."

"Shinji, you can keep trying to convince me that I am in fact beautiful, but it'll never work."

"Well, whatever you say. I just think you don't take much pride in yourself. Honestly, you should try to change your clothing style. All you ever wear are T-shirts and pants right? At least, when you don't have to wear your uniform?"

"I…I guess…yeah…"

"Maybe you should change around your wardrobe a bit."

"I want people to like me for who I am, not for what I look like, which is the primary reason why nobody has ever cared about me before in a romantic sense."

"How do you expect people to care about you if you don't even care about yourself?"

Kimiko was starting to get annoyed with all his questions that kept stabbing her because they were in fact true. "Look, lunch is almost over and I don't wanna be late to my next class. Could you please move?"

Shinji sat up and got out of her way. He offered her a hand but didn't take it. "Thanks, but I'm not handicapped."

"It's still a gesture anybody should do when somebody else is trying to get up."

"Hmm, I guess. Well, I'll see you around. Enjoy your time here in Karakura Shinji Hirako."

Kimiko threw away her trash and proceeded to walk to the building where her locker was at. The ex-Captain watched her leave.

"Yup. She feels this way because nobody has told her that she really is attractive, or because they put negative thoughts in her head over the years. Typical teenage girl stuff. I know how to fix this. 'Kill them with kindness' as the old saying goes."

* * *

Kimiko sat at her desk of her next class and tried not to look at Ami and Renji exchanging smiles or laughter. She tried to stay focused on her book with a straight face, even though her mouth was curving into a frown, and her eyebrows were dropping of sadness.

"Good afternoon Kim!"

She knew that voice. "Shinji, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I have this class next!"

"You're lying."

"Ha ha! No I'm not, I'm serious! Mind if I take a seat next to you?"

"Whatever."

"I'll…take that as a yes then." He pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. "So what are you reading?"

"I'm reviewing the passage from last night's homework so it'll be fresh in my mind in case the teacher asks questions about it."

"Oh, I see. Well…is that all you read?"

"No. I like to read novels about whatever genre and magazine articles about the world happenings. Things like that not many people care about these days."

"Ah. Gotcha."

"Shinji?"

The blonde turned around and smiled. "Well hello again Ichigo!" Kimiko took this time to submerge herself in the book.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit!"

"You're lying. I know you're only here to do something sneaky for your own benefit."

Shinji laughed, but then his face got a little more serious. "On the contrary. Why I'm here has nothing to do with me this time around. It's actually for somebody else who gravely needs some kindness in their life, otherwise, they might lose the purpose for living. I wouldn't want that to happen, considering the poor thing's soul could get eaten by a Hollow. We wouldn't want that, now would we?"

Ichigo knew who he was talking about, but didn't make it obvious.

"I'm here to try to repair the severely broken soul and put it back together, piece by piece, no matter how long it takes. If I don't, then who will?"

The orange-haired teen looked at him and then said, "Well…all right I guess. But just know that…it'll take a while, considering how shattered that…soul is."

"Your redheaded friend would know all about that, wouldn't he?" Shinji glanced over at the subject of the conversation, who was too absorbed in his girlfriend's charms to notice the gaze. "You're gonna help me."

"Huh?"

"I can't do this if the cause for this broken soul gets in the way. She needs to stay as far away from him as possible, otherwise she'll never heal."

"I see."

"Will you do that for me? And maybe tell your buddies too?"

"Sure." He began to walk to his seat, but before leaving, he said, "You better fix her, 'cause we sure as hell don't know how to." Ichigo then began talking with Rukia, she being the first person to get informed of what was going on.

"Don't worry," Shinji said to himself. "I know just exactly what she needs."

* * *

The final bell rang signaling that the school day was over. Kimiko walked to her locker and got all of her belongings and then headed out towards the front gate.

"Kimiko!"

She sighed and turned around. "Hello Shinji. What do you want?"

"To walk you home!"

"Why? I've walked home by myself countless times before."

"I know, but I'd still like to accompany you on your walk."

She looked at him curiously. "Fine. You can tag along, but I have to pick up my brothers first."

"Alright, that's fine with me!"

The strange young man did indeed accompany her on the walk to her brothers' school. When the twins saw her, they said goodbye to their teacher and ran to their sister.

"Nee-san!" they said in unison as they hugged her. She smiled.

"Hello you two. How was your day?"

"It was good!" They noticed Shinji standing next to her and they both blinked with their big brown eyes. "Nee-san, who is this?"

"Hmm? Oh, this is Shinji Hirako."

"Hello!" he greeted. "I'm a classmate of your sister's. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Oh, hello," they said.

"My name is Hiroshi."

"And I'm Keitaro."

"Well it's nice to meet you two! So what grade are you in?"

"We're in fifth grade but soon we'll be heading over to middle school after another year or something," replied Hiroshi.

"Oh, I see."

"Guys," Kimiko said. "Shinji is going to walk with us home, okay?"

"Oh, okay nee-san."

The twins didn't trust this guy, but then again, after what Renji did to Kimiko, they were never going to trust another male ever again.

* * *

Hiroshi and Keitaro watched from the couch as Kimiko cooked and Shinji assisted her in the kitchen.

"Keitaro," Hiroshi said. "What is up with this guy?"

"I have no idea Hiroshi, but I don't like him."

"Me neither. I won't like any other guy who starts to visit nee-san a lot now."

"Same here. We're going to protect her, right Hiroshi?"

"Right."

As soon as Kimiko left to wash her hands in the restroom, the twins walked up to Shinji who was sitting at the table. He noticed them standing next to him. "Oh, hey there you two!"

"What exactly do you want with nee-san?" they both asked.

"Huh?"

"We're keeping a close eye on you," Hiroshi said.

"We're not going to allow anybody else to hurt nee-san," added Keitaro.

"She's suffered so much."

"And we hate to see her cry. After the last guy who broke her heart-"

"—we're not ever going to let another guy do the same thing to her."

"We're watching you Shinji Hirako," they both said.

If this were a horror movie, Shinji would have been a bit disturbed. _They really care a lot about their sister. Hmm, I thought Renji's jerkassery only hurt Kimiko, but I guess it affected the twins too. I suppose I gotta win them over as well. This is worse than I thought._

The blonde smiled. "Well don't you worry. I'm not here to hurt your big sis."

"That's what we thought about Renji nii-san."

"And about Shigeru-san."

"But they both lied."

"And hurt nee-san anyway."

"What makes _you_ any different? Why should we trust you Shinji-san?"

"Hmm, well," he began. "I honestly don't know. You both don't know much about me and neither does your sister, but I do know a lot about her and you two."

"Huh?"

"I know what she likes, what she doesn't like, and what you guys like or dislike. I made sure to brush up on your profiles before meeting you so I don't make any of you three upset."

The twins just blinked in confusion.

"…you're weird."

"Yeah, what my brother said. And your haircut is strange too."

Shinji tried not to sound upset. "Well, that's not a very nice thing to say, now is it?"

"Just don't hurt nee-san," they said. "…and maybe we'll start to like you."

Kimiko walked out of the restroom and told the twins, "Could you please set the table you two?"

"Okay nee-san!"

Shinji stood up from the table and grabbed his hat. "Well, I better get going then."

"Huh? To where?"

"Home."

"You helped me prepare dinner. It would be rude for me to not invite you to eat it."

He beamed. "You'd really let me eat here?"

"Yes? Don't get so excited. It's just food…"

* * *

Shinji was allowed to stay even after dinner since he helped with the dishes and clean-up. Kimiko put her brothers to bed and then sat down on the couch.

"Well, I'll be going now."

"Okay, see you tomorrow at school then."

"Alright." He stood at the door before opening it. "You know, there's another reason why I came here."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Kimiko, do you want to learn how to control your bankai more? I'm sure that the Hollow inside you is impatient to control your body."

She stood quiet. Shinji continued. "Your brothers mean a lot to you, and you mean a lot to them. I can tell. They're your only reason for living, aren't they?"

"…if I wasn't here, nobody would take care of them. I'm their only mother and father now. They're too young and too innocent. I have to continue protecting them, either from people, or from Hollows."

"Is that a yes then?"

The girl stood quiet as she stared at the blank television. "…yes, it is."

Shinji gave his trademark smile. "Well then, I'd be more than happy to be your trainer. Meet me tomorrow after class at the school gate, but only after you've picked up your brothers. I want them to come to."

"Why?"

"Well, they'd never trust me if I didn't include them. I want them to watch their sister train to see what an amazing person she is."

"Sure, I guess I can bring them along too."

"Good, good. Well, I'll see you tomorrow then. Have a good night and sweet dreams."

"Thanks."

With that, he left. Kimiko looked at the door, still puzzled by the enigma she knew as Shinji Hirako.

* * *

Like he had told her, Kimiko brought her brothers with her to the school. Tatsuki happened to pass by. "Oh, hey Kim."

"Hello Tatsuki."

"I haven't seen you in a while. How's everything?"

"Good I guess."

"Hello Tatsuki-san!" said the twins cheerfully. She smiled and knelt down in front of them to ruffle their hair.

"Well hello you two! And how are you guys doing?"

"Good! We're trying our bestest to get good grades!"

"Yeah, so nee-san can be proud of us!"

Kimiko smiled. "I'm already proud of you guys."

"But more nee-san!"

Tatsuki chuckled and stood up again. "Your brothers really are adorable."

"Yes, they are."

"I guess you're not going to practice today?"

"No, I have something to do."

"Oh, well alright. I'll see you at school tomorrow then."

"Okay. Bye."

"Later."

Kimiko waited a few more minutes and was getting impatient. Kiki and Nova popped out of her bag. "What is taking this guy so long?" complained the fox.

"I don't know, but he better be here."

"Well hello there!" Shinji appeared from behind. Kimiko turned around. "Oh, there you are."

"Are you ready to get going?"

"Yes."

"Hmm? Are those the mod souls you mentioned?"

"Oh, yeah, Kiki and Nova. I brought them with me too because they're like family to us and I didn't want to exclude them. Is that fine?"

"Sure! Well we better head on over to the place for your training. It'll be really bad for me if I'm late again…"

Kimiko and her brothers walked with him down the street and away from the school. Tatsuki had been watching this entire time from afar. "I've seen that guy before. He's one of Ichigo's weird friends. What does he want with Kimiko?" She sighed. "Nobody but Ichigo will give me answers. I should call him and ask what all this business is about."

* * *

"You're finished already Ichigo?" asked Yuzu. She and her sister Karin were still eating.

"Oh, yeah I am. The food was good Yuzu. Thank you."

"Hee hee! You're welcome!"

Ichigo left the kitchen before his annoying father exited the restroom. He closed the door and Kon shouted from the bed. "Hey, your cell phone rang while you were down there!"

"Ah, really?" He picked up his phone from the desk and saw that Tatsuki had called. "I wonder what she wants?" He dialed her number and called her back. She picked up after a few rings.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

"Oh, Ichigo. I called you a few minutes ago. Where were you?"

"I was having dinner."

"Oh okay. Well anyway, I wanted to ask you something about Kimiko."

"Me? Why me?"

"Because you're the only one who can probably give me an answer."

"Fine. Shoot."

"What is your weird blonde friend doing hanging around with her?"

"Oh, you mean Shinji?"

"That's his name?"

"Yeah, and technically he's not my friend. He's more like an acquaintance."

"Well whatever he is, you still know him. What's going on? It's like he suddenly appeared out of nowhere."

"Eh…well, it's like this. What Shinji is trying to do is…in a way, I guess fix Kimiko?"

"He's trying to mend her broken heart?"

"I guess? That's what it seems like."

"And how is he ever going to do that? What Renji did to her left her beyond devastated and crushed. She barely met this guy, what…yesterday? I saw him in class speaking with her."

"Look, I don't know how he's going to do it, but he said he's going to try."

"And who told him to do this?"

"Man I don't know! I'm just as surprised as you are!"

"Well…just make sure he does help her get out of this negative funk she's in."

"I know he will, but it looks like we have to keep Renji away from her for a while."

"Hmm." He could just imagine a smile forming on her face on the other line. "Okay, I see. Don't worry, I'll make sure he stays away from Kim then. Alright, thanks. That's all I wanted to know. Bye."

"Later."

Rukia entered into the room, already dressed comfortably to sleep for later. "Hello Ichigo."

"Hey Rukia."

"So?" asked Kon. "Who was that?"

"Tatsuki."

"Tatsuki called?" asked the raven-haired girl.

"Yeah, she did."

"What did she want to speak about?"

"It was about Kimiko. You know how important she is to Tatsuki."

"Oh, yes!" Kon exclaimed. "How is that lovely girl doing?"

"Eh, she's still the same. Hasn't cheered up at all. She's been melancholy ever since she found out the news about Renji and that one chick."

"I don't like to see such a beautiful girl so sad…"

"Well, there really isn't anything we can do," Rukia said. "Guess Shinji has to take care of this."

"Yeah, and let's hope for some progress…"

* * *

"We took long in the market Shinji," Kimiko pointed out. "And why do you have all these meals with you?"

"I had to pick up some food for everyone."

"Who exactly is everyone?"

"You'll see."

They walked into an abandoned warehouse. "There's nothing in here." The twins clung to their sister.

"Not on the surface at least."

Stairs appeared instantly leading down. Kimiko could hear voices coming from whatever room was below. There was arguing and ranting.

"Ah, yeah…she's mad."

"Who?"

"Hiyori. She always gets angry if I'm late. Well come on, you want to train don't you?"

"Yes…"

The girl and her brothers followed Shinji down the stairs. Before they got to the room, he said, "Hiyori will probably throw a fit, and throw things in addition, so wait a few seconds after you see me reach the end of the stairs before coming the rest of the way down."

"Okay."

As soon as Shinji reached the ground, a chair came flying at his head and he dropped the grocery bags.

"Oh my God!" Kimiko said surprised.

"Shinji-san!" the twins cried.

"YOU'RE LATE AGAIN!"

Shinji rubbed his head, which was now bleeding, and he stood up. "Well did you want food or not?"

"Yeah but how long does it take to friggin buy food you dumbass!"

"Well my companion and her brothers wanted to eat something, so I took them to go snack on something!"

"They couldn't have waited?"

"I wouldn't be a gentleman if I told them to wait."

"Since when are you a gentleman?"

Kimiko and her brothers came rushing down the steps. "Ah! Shinji!" She ran over to him. "Y-Your head is bleeding!"

"Ah ha, I'll be fine. Don't worry."

"No it needs to be patched up right now!"

"Shinji-san are you okay?" shrieked the twins.

"Ha ha, yeah I am. Honest! This happens all the time."

"It does?"

"Feh. Who are these three Shinji?" asked Hiyori.

"Ah yes! This is the girl I was telling you about." He turned to the rest of the Vizards. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Kimiko and her twin brothers, Hiroshi and Keitaro."

"Uh, hello."

"H-Hi…" The brothers hid behind their sister.

"Oh, what a pleasant little family," Hachi said. Soon all of the Vizards introduced themselves to the girl and her brothers.

"Hmm…" Hiyori studied her. "Your name is Kimiko, right?"

"Yes?"

"Damn. Why is it that every new girl I meet that gets involved with us is more attractive than me?"

"What?"

"Not only does your name have a fancy meaning, "empress", but your body is almost like that Orihime chick's! Of course your boobs aren't as big as hers, but damn!"

"Er…"

"Of course Kimiko is attractive," Shinji said. "That's why I fell in love as soon as I saw her."

"Liar! You say that about every pretty girl you meet, EXCEPT ME!" She threw an apple at his head, but he dodged it.

"That's because you're a shrimp and your fang or whatever sticking out of your mouth doesn't look pleasant on a chick."

"The fang is my _thing_ okay? We can't all wear hats like you!"

"Yeah yeah."

"Shinji," Kimiko began. "Let me take care of that wound. It really does look painful."

"It won't bother him," Lisa said. "Hiyori does this all the time."

"Besides, Hachi can take care of it," Rose said.

"Ah, really?"

"Yes." The large man got up and a yellow field began to appear over the wound. Kimiko was astounded because it looked exactly like, "…Orihime's power?"

"Ah, so you noticed!" Shinji said when the field was gone.

"This man can heal people?"

"Mm, yes you can say that. His power is stronger than Hime-chan's of course."

"Oh… Well even if your wound is healed, you still need to bandage it because it can reopen!"

"It's okay Kimiko-"

"No I insist! Hachi-san, do you have any bandages?"

"Of course."

Meanwhile, Mashiro was busy being amused by the mod soul dolls with the twins. "They're so cute!" she said.

"Aren't they? Nee-san takes them almost everywhere. This one is Nova," Keitaro held up the turtle.

"And this one is Kiki!" Hiroshi held up the fox.

"Ha ha, they really are cute!"

"Yeah! I like your costume Mashiro-san!"

"Me too! It's cool!"

"Thanks!"

Shinji smiled. "Seems like your brothers like playing with Mashiro."

"Yep. They get along better with people," Kimiko replied as she continued to wrap the bandage around Shinji's head. They were sitting on one of the various rocks of the field. "I wish I was like that. My brothers are naturals at socializing. It takes me a lot longer…"

"Well everybody is different."

"I know. There, all done."

"Thanks, but you really didn't have to do that!"

"I know, but you can never be too sure. Better safe than sorry. Besides, I don't know how I'll ever pay you back for helping me train. Thank you very much Shinji. I really appreciate it."

"No problem Kimiko. It's my pleasure! And don't worry about paying me back. Think of it as my gift to you!"

She smiled. "Okay."

"Well then, do you want to start your training?"

"Yes."

"First, I want to see how you fight as a shinigami." A sheath appeared out of nowhere in the palm of his hand.

"Okay. Kiki!"

The little fox ran over to her friend. Kimiko took out the pill and popped it in her mouth, her shinigami emerging from it.

"Look, nee-san is going to train!"

"With Shinji-san?"

"Looks like it!"

Kiki sat down next to her brothers, Mashiro very fascinated. "That's so cool! How did you do that?"

"It's a very complicated story."

"Alright Kimiko," Shinji said as he took out the sword. "I won't go easy on you, so give me everything you've got. I hate to be insulted."

"Don't worry. I didn't plan to use only a little bit of my strength anyway." She too unsheathed her sword and stood in a battle stance. _This is for my brothers…!_

_

* * *

_

It had been a few weeks since Shinji's return to Karakura High. Renji walked through the halls from the restroom to return to the cafeteria where his friends and his girlfriend were at. He saw through the window the grass area with shady trees, and under the shade sat Kimiko, eating her homemade lunch by herself.

"Hmm? So that's where she goes. She really should come to socialize with those girl friends of hers at that table. Why doesn't she ever talk to anybody? Gah, she's frustrating sometimes…" He noticed somebody walking towards her, and it happened to be her new blonde friend. "Shinji? What's he doing here? Come to think of it…he's been here for practically a month already."

He watched as Shinji greeted Kimiko, a smile soon forming on her face as she invited him to sit down next to her under the shade. She presented to him a homemade lunch, an extra box she had sitting there next to the one she already opened. He grinned and gave his thanks. Renji only felt the slightest pinch of jealousy, but he ignored it, although it grew when he saw the blonde place a yellow flower in her hair that he had picked up along the way. She looked at him surprised by the action, but said nothing and continued to eat, a blush creeping up on her face.

Renji didn't like what he was seeing, not because he was jealous, but because he thought it was suspicious, at least that's what he kept telling himself.

"Kimiko ~ !"

"Oh, good afternoon Shinji," she said as he approached her locker. It was after school and all the students were going home.

"Good afternoon! Thanks for the lunch today. It was very delicious!"

"Uhm, well thank you."

"Ah, you're still wearing the flower in your hair!"

"Y-Yeah I didn't want to take it off…"

"Really?"

"Y-Yes…because it's not often…people give me flowers or things like that…"

"Aww, ha ha! Well, next time I'll buy you a bouquet then with all your favorite flowers in them!"

"N-No, it's fine! Uh, anyway…I want to thank you for helping me with my training. At first my brothers were really scared when they saw my Hollow form, but…when they saw that you and the others were trying to help me to control it…they felt better."

"It's no problem. We're glad to help!"

"Hiyori seems to be a bit critical with me though…"

"Eh she's hostile to everyone, especially me. No big deal. That's just how she is."

"Oh, well if you say so."

"Hey Kimiko-can I call you Kim?"

"I guess?"

"Okay, well Kim, I was wondering…are you free Saturday?"

"Huh? Er, well yeah, I think so. I never have anything to do. I just clean and stuff. Why?"

"Wanna go out on a date?"

It had been a very long time since Kimiko blushed a dark shade of red that was even redder than the markings on Kyuubi's fur. It was not normal for her kind of personality. "A…a date?"

_She's blushing! I haven't seen that before on her face! So cute ~_ "Yeah, since you kinda helped me out whenever we'd have training sessions since you make us all food! I was wondering if we could go on a date someplace."

"Won't Hiyori get upset since you're always supposed to be with the Vizards?"

"She lied about that part the other day. We don't _always_ have to be together in a group. She just needs somebody around to pummel is all. To be frank, I wanna get away from her for a while since…well damn I find a new bruise on my body every day…"

Kimiko giggled, causing her friend to smile. "So, is that a yes? Nobody else from my group will come. It'll be just you and me. Oh, well, if you brothers want to come, since I know you don't have a babysitter or any-"

"Actually, this Saturday they're going to a friend's birthday party and it's an all day thing so…I won't have anything to do."

"Wow, really? Then I guess we'll have the whole day to ourselves!"

"Yes."

"Sooo…"

"Hmm?"

"Yes or no?"

Kimiko looked at her feet for a moment. She had never went out on a date before, so she didn't know what to expect, but she trusted Shinji and Ichigo did too as well as Tatsuki, even though this guy was a very strong fighter. She knew this would make her brothers happy, and Tatsuki happy too, plus Shinji looked excited, and she had been growing quite fond of him ever since their training began.

"…yes, I'd love to go on a date Saturday."

"Great! How about I pick you up at 3:30 then? Does that sound good?"

"Yes, that's fine. Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise!"

She smiled. "Okay, then I can't wait to see what it is."

"How about I carry your books for you?"

"Like I told you over and over, I'm not handicapped so I can do it myself…"

"Aww, what happened to the cute blushing Kimiko that I saw just a few seconds ago?"

"She's gone forever."

Shinji laughed. "There's no harm in me carrying them though. You always have the heaviest text books with you!"

"Well okay. I guess it's fine. I am a little tired anyway." She handed him the text books. Shinji took them gladly and whispered in her ear with a grin, "Y'know, I'm also taking you out Saturday because I honestly do like you Kimiko."

She felt her eyes widen a bit and her heart rate increase, but she tried to ignore it as much as possible. Shinji only smiled at her but all she could do was blush and look flustered.

"There it is! That blush!"

"Be quiet or you can't carry my books!"

"Okay okay! Don't turn into Hiyori and get all violent with me…"

Tatsuki smiled from afar as she saw the two walking towards the gate, Kimiko finally with a genuine smile on her face as Shinji yet again escorted her home. "I have to thank him somehow," she said to herself. "She looks happy again."

Though Kimiko's emotions for her new friend started to turn pink with infatuation, Renji's took a slightly darker path as his own feelings became green with envy after he watched Shinji ask her out on a date, unknown to the both of them.

"I'm going to find out just exactly what the hell is going on here…"

* * *

A/N: Y'all didn't expect that to happen, did you? Hee hee. Well, sorry for the long wait. I hope you enjoyed this chapter nonetheless! Ah ha, and I'm super super sorry that I took this long to update. I swear I was going to post this chapter earlier, but then...I got caught up in trying out some new series...so I started watching Star Driver...which is full of lulz. And then...I promised in my mind I'd update asap as soon as I finished watching it, and then I started reading One Piece and forced myself to stay consistent and spend hours catching up since it has like 611 chapters. I am halfway there though! It's taken me about four days now! Just 307 more chapters for me to go and I will have caught up! Heck yeah! And the wireless internet here sucks ass so I actually got bored and decided to write the rest of this chapter, since I had half of it done last year. xD; orz Ha ha, anyway...sorry again! ^^;

There are only a few more chapters left to this story, and then it'll be finished! Thanks guys for keeping up with me even though I take forever updating! Hope you will all see this story through until the end!


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